Edward C. Huycke, MD was appointed Chief, DoD Coordination Officer for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs on July 24, 2006. He leads policy development and implementation oversight for the transition of US military service members to the VHA medical care system and supervises the coordination of VHA and Department of Defense medical policy.
The VHA provides health care to more than 5.1 million veterans and 7.6 million enrollees throughout the United States. With a medical care budget of approximately $30 billion, VHA directly employs more than 196,500 health care professionals at more than 1,300 sites of care, including hospitals, community and facility-based clinics, nursing homes, domiciliaries, readjustment counseling centers, and various other facilities. In addition to its medical care mission, the VHA is the nation’s largest provider of graduate medical education and a major contributor to medical and scientific research. More than 125,000 volunteers, 80,000 health profession trainees, and 25,000 affiliated medical faculty are also an integral part of the VHA community.
Dr. Huycke earned a bachelor and medical degree from the University of Kansas. He began his military career in 1978, completing his Internal Medicine and Cardiology training at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Huycke served as a practicing cardiologist at the Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco from 1984 through 1989, completing his tour there as Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Assistant Chief, Cardiology Service.
Dr. Huycke served at division surgeon for the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kansas and in Southwest Asia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He completed his tour at Ft. Riley serving as Chief of Medicine and later Deputy Commander for Clinical Services at the base hospital.
Dr. Huycke commanded the Kimbrough Army Community Clinic at Ft. Meade, Maryland from June 1996 through June 1997 and later commanded the Heidelberg Medical Department Activity, Heidelberg, Germany.
Following a tour in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Dr. Huycke assumed command of the 18th Medical Command in Seoul, where he was responsible for health care for all US military forces throughout the Republic of Korea. Dr. Huycke is a graduate of the US Army War College and the US Army Command and General Staff College. His military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star Medal and the Order of Military Medical Merit. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, holding certifications in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
