Joan clifford | va bedford health care | veterans affairs

Joan Clifford was appointed as the Director of VA Bedford Healthcare System on March 18, 2018. Clifford has held key leadership positions at Veterans Administration Central Office as Acting

Deputy Chief Nursing Officer and Acting Deputy Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Access. Clifford had previously served as Deputy Nurse Executive, VA Boston Healthcare System

and has more than 37 years of experience as a registered nurse with VA. Prior to her current appointment, Clifford served as Deputy Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Access to

Care for the Veterans Health Administration.  Clifford is a leader in systems/flow improvement and coaching in VHA at the local, regional, and national levels. She is certified as a Fellow

in Healthcare Management by the American College of Healthcare Executives and Nursing Executive, Advanced by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.   Clifford has a certificate of

completion from the Dartmouth Institute Microsystem Academy Coaching Program, a VHA Lean certification at the Green Belt level, is a VHA certified mentor at the Fellow level, and a graduate

of the VHA Executive Career Field Development Program. Her professional affiliations include Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives; Member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor

Society of Nursing; Member, ANA-Massachusetts, program planning committee; Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, president from 2010-2013; American Nurses Association, Member, American

Organization of Nurse Executives; Member, Organization of Nurse Leaders, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Clifford holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from Salem State College, a

master's in management from Emmanuel College, and a doctorate in nursing practice from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions.