Veterans Health Administration

Ms. Smith is the Acting Chief Digital Health Officer for the Veterans Health Administration. She leads and manages the planning and execution for the establishment of a new Digital Health Office, at the direction of the Undersecretary, and coordinates with all key officials and stakeholders involved. Ms. Smith is an executive with over 25 years of management and technology consulting experience serving commercial and federal government clients. She has experience leading large and small teams to modernize programs, systems, and applications using user-centered design, product management, data-driven and agile delivery methods. Ms. Smith holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

Latriece Prince-Wheeler, FACHE was appointed as a Senior Advisor, Deputy Under Secretary for Health returning to public service in November 2023. As Senior Advisor, Latriece advises the Deputy Under Secretary for Health with the formulating and overseeing the implementation of enterprise programs and policies across the Administration. Prior to returning to public service, Latriece served as a Senior Business Executive and Chief of Staff for Oracle Health Government Services.

Previously she served as the Chief Operating Officer for the physician enterprise at Ascension Providence Health System, located in Washington, D.C. Latriece oversaw all support services, business development and management of clinical service lines including Primary Care, Behavioral Health, Diagnostic Imaging, Urgent Care, Retail Pharmacy and Care Management.

Latriece also served in various leadership roles within the Department of Veterans to include the Associate Director for Support Services at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. In this role, she provided operational oversight to ancillary and support departments, business intelligence, and process improvement. Additionally, Latriece spent seven years in VA Central Office in multiple leadership roles, including Chief of Staff for the Office of Management, Chief Administrative Officer, and Special Advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Latriece is a native of Cleveland. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in exercise science from Michigan State University, East Lansing, and a Master of Business Administration from Cleveland State University. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Project Management Professional.

Dr. Govindan is the Vice Chair of Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas SOM, and the Chief Innovations Officer for VISN 15 at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). He has an established track record in implementation, policy, and research in VA regarding artificial intelligence efforts including being a funded investigator on machine learning methodology in Veterans through the Department of Defense. Prior to his interim role in the Digital Health Office, Dr. Govindan oversaw the KCVA/VISN15 National Artificial Intelligence Institute Field Site. Additionally, he currently serves on multiple national committees and workgroups regarding data governance and artificial intelligence. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert within VHA on AI and its clinical applications.

Dr. Kevin Galpin is the executive director of Telehealth Services under the Office of Connected Care. He is responsible for overseeing the implementation and coordination of telehealth technologies throughout VA.

Galpin is a physician, board-certified in internal medicine and clinical informatics. He has worked in the Veterans Health Administration since 2003 at the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center and in the Southeast Network. His past positions include primary care clinic lead physician, assistant chief of medicine for education, and VISN chief of health informatics.

Mr. Hume oversees VHA’s Office of Health Informatics, which includes the Office of Clinical Informatics, the Office of Connected Health (Telehealth Services and Web Analytics), the Office of Health Information Governance, and the Office of Strategic Investment Management. He supported VHA’s launch of the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) effort while Acting ADUSH, and contributed to standing up the EHRM Program Executive Office. Previously, he was also Executive Director for Strategic Investment Management and held responsibility for the timely provision of structured information that enables leadership to make knowledgeable decisions on health and health IT investments.

Prior to joining VA in September 2007, Mr. Hume served 27 years in the U.S. Army culminating his military career as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Army Medical Department and Information Systems Consultant to the Army Surgeon General. During his career he also served as CIO for the 18th Medical Command in Seoul, Korea; the Army Medical Department Center and School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; the Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis Washington and the Army Medical Command at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He also served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Military Health System in Falls Church, Virginia.

Mr. Hume is board certified in healthcare administration, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a Certified Professional in Healthcare and Management Information Systems.

Ms. Desai has extensive experience driving digital transformation, modernization, and innovation across a range of federal products and programs. She brings over 15 years of product and program leadership ensuring delivery success, dynastic growth and user satisfaction. Most recently she served as the Customer Experience Lead for the CDC's disease surveillance system, NBS and delivered the first modernized product version in 20 years.

Previously, as the Chief of the All Domain Common Platform at Kessel Run, she led the team through a platform migration and organizational change while maintaining real world operations across 12 Air Operations Centers across the globe. Her experience extends to the USAF and the USAF Reserves as an acquisition officer. She has managed large program budgets in the Pentagon, served as the US delegate for a NATO standardization group, planned special operations during the 2018 Winter Olympics, and deployed during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM.

Ms. Desai holds a MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Florida, a BS in Systems Engineering Management from the United States Air Force Academy and professional certifications across acquisition, product management, and innovation.