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New director sees ‘hidden treasure’ in VA system
By Shelia Watson
Contributing Writer
When John Barilich was considering the director position for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, his immediate reaction was positive.
“I noticed as soon as I arrived that it’s a lot warmer,” he laughed, comparing the climate to Cincinnati, Ohio, the location of his last position as acting network director for the Department of Veterans Affairs Integrated Service Network 10.
Weather conditions aside, Barilich was overjoyed at the appointment for one reason: the RHJ-VA’s reputation for excellence.
“This facility is well known for its quality of care for veterans,” he said. “It has consistently received unanimous reports of exceptional quality of care. And that was a strong motivator for me to pursue this opportunity. I think the VA system is a hidden treasure in its capabilities, and I’m honored to be serving these veterans.”
Barilich became director of the RHJ-VA on Dec. 18, 2006. In his previous position at VISN-10 in Cincinnati, he was responsible for six inpatient VA facilities and more than 23 Community Based Outpatient Clinics serving more than 1 million veterans in Ohio and parts of Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. VISN-10’s operating budget was $950 million for FY2006.
The RHJ-VA in Charleston is his seventh VA facility. In addition to his position in Cincinnati, his previous positions include: acting director/acting associate director, VAMC Highland Drive; vice president, information management, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; social work executive, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; assistant chief, Social Work Service, VAMC Dallas; social work supervisor, VAMC Indianapolis; social worker, VAMC Danville; and social worker, North Chicago VAMC.
As the site manager for the H. John Heinz III VA Progressive Care Center of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and vice president of the Geriatric and Extended Healthcare Service Line from 1997 through September 2003, he was responsible for the overall operation of the Heinz facility, a 336-bed facility that provided transitional care, hospice, palliative care, dementia care, primary care clinics and medical/surgical specialty clinics.
Barilich was responsible for reorganizing the management structure of the Heinz facility and secured accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations with scores of 99 in 1999 and 98 in 2002. He developed two palliative care units, which focused on improving the quality of life for veterans with chronic diseases and also developed two transitional care units, which offered sub-acute services to veterans. Barilich was also recognized as the VA Social Worker of the Year in 2001.
Barilich began his career as a social worker and still maintains an interest in that field. He is currently the co-chair of the Under Secretary for Health’s Special Committee on the Care of Veterans with Serious Mental Illness and is a member of the DOD/VA Mental Health Work Group.
In fact, one of his first acts upon taking up the directorship was to add staff to the health care group working with post-traumatic stress disorder patients.
“We need to focus on prevention and intervention and identify the gaps in mental health services,” he said.
One of the challenges the VA system is facing, he said, is dealing with the number of veterans returning from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We need to get these returning OEF and OIF personnel into the system as soon as possible,” he said. “This is the closest the VA and the DOD have ever been in terms of seamless service for returning members, and I’m very pleased about that.
“We’re doing a lot of (mental health) screening, especially in combat zones, for PTSD, as opposed to waiting,” he said. “It’s much better to be proactive.”
Another challenge involves the recent discussions of shared opportunities between the VA and the Medical University of South Carolina.
“I’m very excited about these opportunities,” he said. “Although we aren’t sure exactly what is going to happen at this point. Congress did authorize $36.8 million (to begin planning), but authorizing and allocating are different things.”
Barilich said he has met with the dean and president of MUSC and all parties are continuing to look for opportunities to share services.
His primary concern is alleviating the anxiety among his staff regarding their jobs.
“Many of these people came from the Navy base, where they were downsized from (the base realignment and closure),” he said. “And now here they are hearing rumors of mergers with MUSC.
“It should be made clear that this is a partnership between MUSC and the VA, not a merger. My point is that this has to be a win-win for everyone, and we will work toward everyone maintaining their jobs. We may be downsizing, but it will be through people leaving or retiring.”
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