New health care system director appointed at Montana VA

HELENA, Mont. — The Department of Veteran Affairs appointed a new healthcare system director.

Kimberly Adkins is responsible for 21 sites of care statewide including a medical center at Fork Harrison, a health care center in Billings, 13 community-based outpatient clinics and oversees delivery of health care services covering 1447,000 square miles in Montana.

Adkins has been a federal employee since May 1989 when she began as a GS-3 clerk-typist with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Officials say she brings experience overseeing emergency management, fiscal, facilities management, safety, strategic planning, supply chain management, police, privacy, human resource, contacting and more.

The Department of Veteran Affairs provided the information in the following press release:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kimberly Adkins, as the new director of Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS). Ms. Adkins is responsible for 21 sites of care statewide including: a Medical Center at Fort Harrison, a Health Care Center (HCC) in Billings, 13 Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and oversees delivery of health care services covering 147,000 square miles within the state of Montana.

“We are excited to bring Ms. Adkins on board as the new director of the VA Montana Health Care System,” said Sunaina Kumar-Giebel, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 19 Director. “Her sound leadership qualities and proven experience will be valuable assets for the facility, the employees and volunteers, and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”

Mrs. Adkins has been a Federal employee since May of 1989 when she began her career as a GS-3 clerk-typist with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. She has more than 29 years of Federal service. She brings experience overseeing emergency management, fiscal, facilities management, safety, strategic planning, supply chain management, police, privacy, human resources, contracting, and more.

The Montana VA Health Care System provides essential services is a Joint Commission accredited, level two complexity facility serving Veterans across Montana; the largest catchment area in the lower 48 states (about 147,000 square miles) and operates on a budget of over $612 million. MTVAHCS has approximately 47,300 enrolled Veterans and has capacity to provide services to the estimated 65,000 eligible Veterans in Montana. MTVAHCS has 21 sites of care statewide including: a Medical Center at Fort Harrison, a Health Care Center (HCC) in Billings, 13 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (Bozeman, Butte, Browning, Cut Bank, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Hamilton, Havre, Kalispell, Lewistown, Miles City, Missoula), a Primary Telehealth Outpatient Clinic in Plentywood, a 14-bed Community Living Center in Miles City, a nationally accredited Sleep Disorders Center in Helena, and ATLAS telehealth sites in Eureka, Bozeman and Missoula. Fort Harrison VA Medical Center has 29 authorized/18 operational acute care medical/surgical beds; which includes six Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds offering a broad range of acute, chronic, and specialized inpatient and outpatient services for Veterans. Fort Harrison operates a 24-bed residential rehabilitation unit offering 2 tracks: the treatment of Veterans with PTSD and the treatment of Veterans with substance abuse. Billings Health Care Center (HCC) provides Primary Care, Mental Health, Specialty Care services, as well as Dental, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Diagnostic Imaging, and outpatient specialty procedures and surgical interventions for the largest metropolitan area in Montana and vast rural area of the eastern half of Montana. Billing’s secondary service area includes northern Wyoming. Telehealth services are available at all sites of care.