Key Takeaways:

• How their career started and how their journey into leadership roles
• Challenges they faced along the way and how they overcame them
• Do we all have imposter syndrome? 
• Microaggression and how to manage
• Growing leaders in the Great Recession
• Mentors and coaches and how to find support in your career
• What we can do moving forward to bring more women into leadership roles 

About our Moderator:

Valdez Bravo | Chief Operating Officer at VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics
A native of Oregon, Valdez grew up in Salem and began his federal service when he enlisted in the Army three weeks out of high school, serving for eight years (1995-2003) in positions of increasing responsibility at military hospitals as a medical equipment repairman (91A20).

Valdez began his VA career in May 2004 at the VA Portland Health Care System as a biomedical equipment support specialist. After returning to school and earning a Bachelor's degree in English from Portland State University, he was selected to attend the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration. Valdez holds a Masters in Health Administration and Masters in Business Administration from Baylor University and an undergraduate degree in English with minors in Writing and Film from Portland State University. Valdez is a graduate of the VHA’s Health Care Leadership Development Program (2017) and is a VHA Certified Mentor (2016) and VHA Certified Black Belt in Lean Healthcare (2018). Valdez is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Board of Oregon Society of Healthcare Executives

About our Speakers:

Erin Anderson Fortier | Associate Chief of Staff for Behavioral Health
Dr. Anderson Fortier is the Associate Chief of Staff of Behavioral Health Service at the White City VA. She has been in her current role for the past two years. She oversees the Behavioral Health Service line, which consists of the continuum of behavioral health care; Primary Care Mental Health Integration, Outpatient Substance Use Disorder, Outpatient PTSD, Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program, Neuropsychology, Psychology Internship, Homeless Programs, Suicide Prevention Program, Social Work Internship, Psychosocial Rehabilitation, and Recovery, as well as the largest Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program in the VA, focused on general mental health treatment as well as treatment for homeless Veterans. She has been a leader in the VA for nine years. 
Dr. Anderson Fortier enjoys working with teams through continuous process improvement to provide excellent care delivery for our Veterans. She promotes leading from every seat and leadership development for her team and is a lifelong learner.  Dr. Anderson Fortier has participated in Leadership VA (LVA) the VA’s oldest leadership fellowship, The Behavioral Health Leadership training (BHLT), Mentoring, has facilitated high-reliability organization (HRO) classes for staff and supervisors, actively participates in the trauma-informed care workgroup, and is participating in the Health Care Leadership Development Program (HCLDP).  
Prior to coming to the VA and serving Veterans, Dr. Anderson Fortier served as the Director of the Behavioral Management at Eastern Louisiana Mental Health Systems, built a private practice, and served as a faculty member at Southern Louisiana Internship Consortium. 
Dr. Anderson Fortier completed her internship at Southern Louisiana Internship Consortium and earned her Master’s and Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology from George Fox University. She enjoys spending time with her three kiddos and husband, hiking, spending time at the family cabin, and singing Broadway tunes in the car with her kiddos. 

Andrea Bennett | Administrative Director of Primary Care at the VA Portland Health Care System

Andrea Bennett serves as the Administrative Director for Primary Care at the VA Portland Health Care System. In this role, Ms. Bennett Directs the administrative operations over thirteen sites of care in Oregon and SW Washington. She works hand in hand with the Nursing Director and Clinical Director to oversee operations of 400 staff, who serve nearly 60,000 Veteran patients. Prior to joining Primary Care, Andrea worked as a Systems Redesign Coordinator, leading improvement teams in various areas of the Health Care System. Andrea began her career with the VA in Dallas, Texas at the VISN 17 Network Office as an Administrative Resident. During her residency, she worked in various program areas including, Logistics, Women’s Veterans Program, Primary Care, and Strategic Planning. Before she joined the VA, Andrea worked as a Project Coordinator in the Rural Medical Education Program for the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas for 2 years and as a Pharmacy Technician for 8 years. 

Andrea earned her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. She enjoys spending her free time with her family and especially her four-year-old daughter, Amara. While she loves Primary Care, being a mom is truly her favorite job.

Susan Thurston, DNP RN | recently retired. Last position: Associate Director of Patient Care Services and Nurses Executive at the VA SORCC
It is hard to believe 35 years of nursing have passed of which 20 years were with the VA. December 6, 1985, I was a newly graduated RN from Central Oregon Community College in Bend OR. On boy, did I have much to learn! My formative years were spent at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, 1986 to 1997, for which I am incredibly grateful. I learned from many wonderful people! When I decided to return to school, at the University of Oregon in 1996, I worked at McKenzie Willamette Community Hospital in Springfield OR. While working in the ICU, I earned two bachelor’s degrees, Sociology, and Psychology. Once I graduated from the U of O in 1999, I moved to Portland and worked for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in the pediatric ICU. This was an exciting time as they were standing up the open-heart program for children! Once this was completed, I went to Kaiser Permanente as a generalist case manager for the Division Street Clinic. While I enjoyed the clients I worked with, Kaiser was not a good fit for me. So, the VA had some positions open in their ICU…and pointed my feet in that direction. 
I joined the VA in June 2002. I earned my BSN/MSN in May 2007 through the University of Phoenix Online; my DNP through Rush College of Nursing June 2012, Chicago IL. I loved the Rush program. Being accepted, working through two years of challenging work, and then graduating gave me the shot of confidence I needed. During my years with the VA, I worked in ICU, Education, Simulation, Infection Control while at the Portland OR VA. In September 2012 I transferred to the White City OR VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics. My first role was as infection control RN for two yrs., then Associate Chief Nurse Executive for two yrs., and then Associate Director Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive for six years. I retired on December 31, 2021. 
During these 35 years, I have been a married mom, then a single mom of two now 38 and 41; then a grandmother rearing two grandchildren now sixteen, and now a nine-year-old granddaughter. My son, granddaughter, and I are a blended family. My children are successful in their lives, even though I have always worked and gone to school.  They tell me they are stronger for it, and both are extremely glad I do not know half the stuff they did (and still will not share). We all have dogs and cats as family members too…
Retirement goals are relaxing my face, getting my shoulders out of my ears, sleeping the night through, playing more, having fun, and just being. I think I am done with healthcare – though I renewed my license for another two years.  Who knows what else life has to offer, my next exploration.