ROBERT J. MCPEAK
VA Northeast Ohio Health Care System (VANEOHCS), Department of Veterans Affairs
Lakewood
1
Certification
42
years of professional experience
Diligent administrator with extensive experience in health systems management and process improvement, recognized for successfully implementing initiatives that streamline operations and enhance patient care. Expertise in optimizing healthcare operations through data analysis, project management, and compliance drives strategic planning efforts that lead to increased efficiency and improved service delivery. A strong collaborator thriving in multidisciplinary environments, with adaptability to changing conditions that fosters teamwork and achieves organizational goals. Committed to leveraging skills and knowledge to elevate healthcare outcomes and contribute meaningfully to organizational success.
Work History
Health System Specialist, Office of the Chief of Staff
5 Years 9 Months- Responsibilities: The Health Systems Specialist supports the Chief of Staff of the VA Northeast Health Care System (VANEOHCS) by providing health systems management advisory services and high-level management input into the most complex top management deliberations and decisions. Responsible to the Chief of Staff, the Health System Specialist is responsible for working closely with the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant for the overall management of the VANEOHCS Clinical Services including: Clinical Service Chiefs; Clinical Administrative Officers, Specialty Care in the CBOCs; Group Practice Management Office. The incumbent provides full and complete support to the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant through analyzing, evaluating, advising, implementing, improving and coordinating multiple clinical venues including: Ambulatory, Medical Sub – Specialties, Surgical Sub – Specialties, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mental Health, Geriatrics and Long Term Care Outpatient, Inpatient, Diagnostic Services and Research to improve efficiency, capacity, access, provider deployment, Sub – Specialty care geographic expansion, clinical documentation, physician recruitment and retention, complex patient workflows and methodology.
- Responsibilities: Chief Administrative Officer for Clinical Services Administrative Officers (17 total), hold monthly meetings with Administrative Officers to facilitate Chief of Staff’s goals and objectives, disseminate new initiatives and directives, Boot Camp program with subject matter experts for specific topic presentations, develop networking among Administrative Officers, share best practices and provide forum for Administrative Officers to discuss issues. Hold weekly meetings for new Administrative Officers to orient them to their roles and responsibilities, use as boot camp to share existing body of knowledge and work and areas of responsibility.
- Manages and administers Deputy Chief of Staff Clinical Service Business Meetings
- Strategic Space Planning Committee DCOS representative
- Office of Information Technology/ BioMedical Engineering Committee, Administrative Chair and COS representative
- Position Management: recruiting and retention
- Non – Citizen physician recruitment program (Visa)
- Facility Overview: The VANEOHCS is a tertiary 1A Health Care System which consists of 1 Medical Center, 13 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS), an independent Dialysis Center, an independent Ambulatory Service Center, an independent 137 bed Community Living Center, an independent Therapeutic Residence House, an independent Domiciliary and 2 independent Fisher Houses. It is a teaching and research hospital primarily affiliated with the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The VANEOHCS cares for approximately 104,000 Veterans with 5,319 employees and an annual operation budget in excess of $900 Million.
- GS 13-7, Occupation Code: 0671, Salary $133,207, 40 hours/ week
Acting Staff Assistant to Chief of Staff
2 Months- Responsibilities: The Staff Assistant, GS-14, supports the Chief of Staff of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System providing administrative and program support to the Chief of Staff and to all of the programs under the Chief of Staff’s direction including: Deputy Chiefs of Staff (2); Associate Chiefs of Staff (5); Clinical Service Chiefs; Clinical Administrative Officers (17), Research Service; COPS Specialty Care; Education Office; Medical Staff Office; Group Practice Management Office.
- Areas of Responsibility
- Non – Citizen recruitment program
- Human Resources Management Service liaison: recruiting, training, EEO, discipline, ePerformance (ECF and ePerformance), position management
- System redesign and performance improvement studies
- Policy and procedure advisement, development and management
- Budget oversight, review and management for Clinical Services
- Equipment and Capital Procurement review and management for Clinical Services
- Project Management: Design, coordination and activation of clinical construction projects
- GS 13-7, Occupation Code: 0671, Salary $114,077, 40 hours/ week
Health System Specialist, Office of the Chief of Staff
2 Years 2 Months- Responsibilities: The Health Systems Specialist supports the Chief of Staff of the VA Northeast Health Care System (VANEOHCS) by providing health systems management advisory services and high-level management input into the most complex top management deliberations and decisions. Responsible to the Chief of Staff, the Health System Specialist is responsible for working closely with the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant for the overall management of the VANEOHCS Clinical Services including: Clinical Service Chiefs; Clinical Administrative Officers, Specialty Care in the CBOCs; Group Practice Management Office. The incumbent provides full and complete support to the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant through analyzing, evaluating, advising, implementing, improving and coordinating multiple clinical venues including: Ambulatory, Medical Sub – Specialties, Surgical Sub – Specialties, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mental Health, Geriatrics and Long Term Care Outpatient, Inpatient, Diagnostic Services and Research to improve efficiency, capacity, access, provider deployment, Sub – Specialty care geographic expansion, clinical documentation, physician recruitment and retention, complex patient workflows and methodology.
- Responsibilities:
- Group Practice Management Supervisor (Detail)
- Supervises three Group Practice Managers. Works with the Chief of Staff, Information and Analytics, Clinical Service Chiefs, Section chief and Administrators to evaluate access, capacity, provider deployment, clinic space utilization, optimization of provider clinic grids and bookability. Works closely with the Group Practice Managers and Information and Analytics section to develop new data dashboards and views and ad hoc reports to facilitate ease of data accessibility, facilitate clinic planning, identify trends and assess problem areas to develop mitigation strategies, optimize clinic efficiency and provide usable feedback to Clinical Leadership to guide clinical decision making.
- Chief Administrative Officer for Clinical Services Administrative Officers (17 total), hold monthly meetings with Administrative Officers to facilitate Chief of Staff’s goals and objectives, disseminate new initiatives and directives, Boot Camp program with subject matter experts for specific topic presentations, develop networking among Administrative Officers, share best practices and provide forum for Administrative Officers to discuss issues. Hold weekly meetings for new Administrative Officers to orient them to their roles and responsibilities, use as boot camp to share existing body of knowledge and work and areas of responsibility.
- Radiology/ Oncology Administrative Officer detail, responsible for setting up new Clinical Service, Administrative infrastructure, hiring of administrative staff, setting up Fiscal structure. Worked closely with Chief of Staff, Radiology – Oncology Service Chief and Executive Leadership to fully set up the Service.
- Manages and administers Chief of Staff Clinical Service Business Meetings
- Position Management: recruiting and retention
- Non – Citizen physician recruitment program (Visa)
- Oversite of the Medical Staff Office
- GS 13-7, Occupation Code: 0671, Salary $114,077, 40 hours/ week
Administrative Officer
4 Years 11 Months- Responsibilities: The Administrative Officer supports the following separate Services: Medicine Service, Neurology Service, Dermatology Service. Works closely with each of the respective Service Chiefs providing overall management of workforce management, Human Resource management, Fiscal management, Logistics supply management, Equipment procurement management, special projects and initiatives. Provided high level advisory and management for each Service to improve efficiency of administrative support for each, clinic space allocation, increase clinical capacity, increase patient access, provider recruitment and retention strategy, development of new patient care modalities including tele-health.
- Responsibilities:
- Clinical Administration of Medicine Primary Care, Medicine sub – Specialty: Cardiology, Dermatology, Emergency Department, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Geriatric Research and Education and Clinical Center, Hematology/ Oncology, Hospitalists, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neurology, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Sleep Medicine, Women’s Health
- Personnel Management: 120 physicians; 47 Licensed Independent Providers; 130 Dependent Providers; 54 Administrative staff
- Title 5, Title 38, Title 38 Hybrid, Fee, Intermittent, Without Compensation programs
- Performance Management Administration: Executive Career Field; Performance Review (0750)
- Fiscal Management: $5.2 Million annual budget; 7 independent Fund Control Points
- Clinic Space Management and deployment for Primary Care, Emergency Department, 5 Outpatient modules
- Academic Affiliation Agreements and Professional Staff appointments at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
- Capital Investment Program
- Clinic Practice Administration
- Supervised 9 clinic practice managers to optimize clinic set up, operation, clinical documentation management and staffing requests.
- GS 13-3, Occupation Code: 0341 Salary $90,733, 40 hours/ week, to GS 13-5, $102,923
Program Management Analyst
3 Years 4 Months- Responsibilities: Program Management Analyst responsible for data analysis, systems evaluation and process improvement fully supporting the Office of the Chief of Medicine, Section Chiefs and clinical venues including Medicine sub-specialties, Primary Care and the Emergency Department. Worked closely with the Chief of Medicine and section chiefs to manage clinical data, develop reports supporting section clinical operation, manage and monitor clinical documentation completion. Worked with Medicine Administrative Leadership to perform budgetary analysis, forecast Fiscal demand and usage, manage Fund Control Point reconciliation. Worked with Administrative Leadership to support workforce management, forecast staffing needs, prepare recruitment memos, manage recruiting and relocation incentives and prepare and maintain organizational charts.
- Responsibilities:
- Data Manager
- Oversight for service data including encounters, consults, notes, etc.
- Section workload management
- Productivity evaluation and analysis
- VERA oversight and analysis
- Stop Code workload analysis
- DSS coordinator
- Data Manager Committee, Chair (Medicine Service)
- ADPAC Committee, Chair (Medicine Service)
- Budget
- Workload summaries and projection analyses
- Staffing: staff to patient ratios and projection analyses
- Equipment oversight: need analysis, inventory management, FY request supervision
- Assist in FY budget analysis and report preparation
- Liaison to Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
- Point of Care Testing coordinator
- Ancillary Testing Committee member
- Projects
- Encounters: Successful reduction of service wide open encounters from over 1000 per month to less than 50 per month.
- Emergency Department Daily Open Encounter project: reduction of daily open encounters in 24/7 multiservice environment.
- Ad hoc Work Groups:
- Current: ECG Workgroup chair: determine and correct workload loss
- GS 12-6, Occupation Code: 0343, Salary $83,455, 40 hours/ week
Program Management Analyst
4 Years 3 Months- Responsibilities: Responsible to the Chief of the Emergency Department, the Program Management Analyst worked closely with the Chiefs of the Emergency Department and Primary Care and supportive Services including Nursing, PCAS and Environmental Management Service to administratively manage a 24/7 clinical venue and the Primary Care Clinic. Worked with Leadership for the above areas to analyze workflow processes to optimize workflows, patient throughput and develop data driven and evidence-based strategies to improve care delivery.
- Responsibilities:
- Primary Care Administrator: Emergency Department, Firms, Geriatrics and Women’s Health.
- Section staff meetings administrative chair
- Implemented Women’s Health and Geriatrics monthly staff meetings
- Committee manager for Emergency Department Flow Inpatient Improvement Initiative.
- Performance Improvement Chair for Primary Care sections
- Developed and coordinated Firms staff retreats
- Supervised Medical Officer of the Day program including credentialing oversight and scheduling.
- Budgeting
- Quality Assurance and Improvement
- Developed, expanded and maintained the Emergency Department quality indicator data base for industry standard metrics employed to monitor quality metrics.
- Performance Improvement coordinator Primary Care
- Medical Technologist, Occupation Code: 0644, GS 11-9/ Program Management Analyst, GS 12-5 Occupation Code 0343, Salary $81,070, 40 hours/ week
Senior Medical Technologist
8 Years 7 Months- Responsibilities: Responsible to Associate Chief of Staff Research, the Senior Medical Technologist optimized the performance of the Clinical Pharmacy Laboratory to develop new analytic techniques and methodologies to increase efficiency and productivity of the laboratory. Managed supply inventory, equipment procurement and service contracts, managed fiscal budget, maintained quality control program, achieved and maintained compliance with external accrediting agencies including: CLIA; College of American Pathologists and Joint Commission. Trained new staff and mentored trainees. Authored policy and procedure and maintained system of records. Designed, structured and implemented experimental methods for testing and data collection for Phase I and Phase II cancer drug clinical trials.
- GS-11, Occupation Code: 0644, Salary $75,593, 40 hours/ week
Medical Technologist
9 Years 10 Months- Responsibilities: Responsible to the Associate Chief of Staff Research, the Medical Technologist executed daily laboratory operations including diagnostic analysis, ordering and stock maintenance.
- GS-9, Occupation Code: 0644, Salary $35,015, 40 hours/ week
Research Assistant
2 Years 4 Months- Responsibilities: Responsible to the Associate Chief of Staff Research, Research Assistant performed research and development of basic energy metabolism.
Research Assistant
1 Year- Responsibilities: Responsible to the Associate Chief of Staff Research, the Research Assistant performed research and development analysis of energy metabolism
- Occupation Code: 0645, 40 hours/ week
Education
Graduate School of Chemistry
Bachelor of Science - Chemistry
Skills
Healthcare IT systems
Clinical workflow optimization
Patient safety
Healthcare analytics
Healthcare management
Quality improvement
Interpersonal and written communication
Health informatics
Organizational development
Administration and management
Contract development
Operational policies and processes
Operational policy planning
Healthcare policy analysis
Healthcare delivery systems management
Healthcare program management
Effective customer communication
Evaluations and analysis
Teamwork
Teamwork and collaboration
Problem-solving
Problem-solving abilities
Multitasking Abilities
Critical thinking
Organizational skills
Team collaboration
Team building
Task prioritization
Computer literacy
Goal setting
Professionalism
Data analysis
Problem-solving aptitude
Accomplishments
- Documented and resolved non citizen physician recruitment which led to streamlined process, educational presentations to Clinical Leadership and standard operation procedure with Chief of Staff and Human Resources.
- Collaborated with Nursing Service, PCAS Service, Clinical Services in the development of Outpatient Exam Room Optimization. This resulted in a fully electronic resource based requests system and assignment system based on demand, grouping of complimentary subspecialty providers and booking efficiency.
- Collaborated with Clinical Administration to streamline the physician market pay review process and procedure. This resulted in the lowest error rate in submission in VISN10. As a result VISN10 HR Compensation selected Cleveland to the VISN pilot for the Position Recruitment Tool, a fully software based workflow for Market Pay submission and approval.
- Documented and resolved Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service SWOT analysis which led to a resource based restructuring plan for PALMS leadership hierarchy, facility planning, professional staff recruitment and expansion of analytic scope through targeted hiring of professional staff in several critical pathology disiciplines
Certification
- VISN 10 Systems Redesign Advisory Council – Return on Investment 2011
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt 2010
- Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
- VHA Leadership Development Institute (VISN 10) 2010
- Louis Stokes Cleveland DVAMC – Coaching and Mentoring Program 2008
Timeline
Health System Specialist, Office of the Chief of Staff
VA Northeast Ohio Health Care System (VANEOHCS), Department of Veterans Affairs
10.2020 - CurrentRead More
Acting Staff Assistant to Chief of Staff
Office of the Chief of Staff VANEOHCS
08.2020 - 10.2020Read More
Health System Specialist, Office of the Chief of Staff
Office of the Chief of Staff, VANEOHCS
06.2018 - 08.2020Read More
Administrative Officer
Medicine Service; Neurology Service, Dermatology Service
07.2013 - 06.2018Read More
Program Management Analyst
Medicine Service, VANEOHCS
03.2010 - 07.2013Read More
Program Management Analyst
Medicine Service, VANEOHCS
12.2005 - 03.2010Read More
Senior Medical Technologist
Research Service, VANEOHCS
05.1997 - 12.2005Read More
Medical Technologist
Research Service, VANEOHCS
07.1987 - 05.1997Read More
Research Assistant
Case Western Reserve University
03.1985 - 07.1987Read More
Research Assistant
Research Service, VANEOHCS
03.1984 - 03.1985Read More
Marietta College
Bachelor of Science from Chemistry
Read More
Case Western Reserve University
Graduate School of Chemistry
Read More
Community Activities
- Kosher Catering at Hillel Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 44106, 1983, Present
- Twenty Second National Wheelchair Games, VANEOHCS, Cleveland, OH, 44106, 2002, Welcoming Ceremony Dinner Committee
- Csárdás Dance Company 501C (3) Non-Profit, Cleveland, OH, 44106, 2005, Present, Board of Directors, Treasurer
- Touch A Quarter Century National Convention, Cleveland, OH, 44106, 2007, 2008, Chief Fiscal Officer; National Newsletter Editor
- Cleveland City Country Dancers, 501C (3) Non-Profit, Cleveland, OH, 44106, 2009, Present, Board of Directors, President
Awards
Annual ECF Review: Outstanding 2023, Annual ECF Review: Outstanding 2022, Annual ECF Review: Outstanding 2021, Annual ECF Review: Excellent 2020, Annual ECF Review: Excellent 2019, Annual ECF Review: Outstanding 2006 – 2018 inclusive, Performance Award for Flow Inpatient Improvement Initiative 2008, Performance Award for Emergency Department Troponin-I Point of Care Testing 2009, Performance Award for Emergency Department - Prosthetics Service 2009, Pyxis Supply Station Project