VA taps familiar face as acting health secretary overseeing EHR work
John Figueroa is the new acting head of the Veterans Health Administration, days after his predecessor John Bartrum resigned, according to an internal email viewed by FedScoop on Friday.
Figueroa was the acting Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs from November 2025 to January 2026, when Bartrum began his Senate-confirmed role. Figueroa, a former commissioned infantry officer, ranger and CarepathRx CEO, was previously a senior advisor to the VA secretary.
“Throughout this transition, our priorities remain clear,” he said in the email. “That includes continuing to adopt technologies, such as AI Scribe, the Federal Electronic Health Record, and other innovative tools that reduce administrative burden, improve patient experience, and help ensure VHA remains at the forefront of healthcare worldwide.”
Figueroa also said he expects that advancing the VHA’s Restructure for Impact & Sustainability Effort will help the agency to “move faster and more efficiently.”
“Together, we will continue creating a future where VHA sets the standard for excellence in Veteran-centered care, clinical research, innovation, and operational performance,” Figueroa said.
Bartrum, whose resignation was effective Monday, exited the VA after serving less than a year in the position. He led the massive rollout of electronic health record modernization, which has been ramping up in recent months, with plans to have 19 sites updated by the end of this year. It’s the beginning of an “aggressive timeline” to complete deployment at all sites as early as 2031.
The VA did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
