Mr. Walt C. Dannenberg FACHE

Director Walt Dannenberg has led VA Long Beach Healthcare System (VALBHS) as Chief Executive Officer and Medical Center Director since February 2017.

With the goal of becoming the #1 healthcare system in the nation, Mr. Dannenberg and VALBHS have embarked on a transformational journey that strives for service excellence. This includes overseeing active construction projects to bring state-of-the-art facilities to VALBHS and expanding virtual care modalities so that Veterans can access their care online from anywhere in the world. Mr. Dannenberg often says, “There is no better mission than to serve those who have served” and “that’s why our Veterans deserve nothing but the best.”

Prior to arriving at VALBHS, Mr. Dannenberg served as VA Palo Alto Heath Care System’s Associate Director and as Assistant Director with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. Mr. Dannenberg began his VA career as a Graduate Healthcare Administrative Fellow in 2006 at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, Arkansas.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives (FACHE) and previously served as Vice-President of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Health Care Executives. He holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University as well as a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. Mr. Dannenberg is a member of the 2016 Class of Leadership VA and a graduate of VHA’s 2010 Health Care Leadership Development Program.