Surafeal Asgedom was appointed Chief Officer for Modernization in April 2017.  In this role, he is leading efforts to modernize the Department’s capabilities to deliver timely care and quality services to America’s Veterans by helping to transform VA into a modern, high performing organization.

Mr. Asgedom is leading VA Modernization with goal of simplifying operations and improving customer experience by creating efficiencies, delayering VA organizational structures, and enhancing corporate services (HR, IT, Supply Chain) to enable mission delivery.   He is focused on business transformation to drive integration and change management for implementation of major modernization initiatives (EHR, Telehealth, Financial System)

Before he began his service with VA, Mr. Asgedom was Corporate Vice President at Mount Sinai Health System leading strategic and operational finance, innovative digital strategy and involved with post-merger integration of clinical operations and corporate services to help create New York’s largest integrated health system.   Prior to his leadership roles with healthcare organizations, Mr. Asgedom was a management consultant focused on health technology, strategic planning, change management, and tactical implementation across the dimensions of people, process and technology.

He holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from Columbia University, executive leadership certificate from University of North Carolina Business School and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego.