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White River Junction VAMC Leadership
Danielle Ocker, BSN, Acting Director
Danielle S. Ocker began her duties as Associate Director, White River Junction (WRJ) VAMC in August of 2008.
Ms. Ocker received her Associates Degree in Nursing in 1986 from New Hampshire Technical College. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Nursing in 2001 and an MBA in 2009, both from University of Phoenix where she graduated with high honors. Ms. Ocker is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, Omicron Delta Chapter, and a member of the Health Financial Management Association.
Ms. Ocker joined the WRJ staff in 1985 as a student nurse, and progressed through several capacities during her tenure including: staff nurse, Nurse Manager of the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department, and Service Line Manager for Sensory and Physical Rehabilitation. Other accomplishments include: Polytrauma/TBI Program Director where she facilitated the implementation of the WRJ program, Fellow Level Mentor, and Robert W. Carey Organizational Excellence Award Examiner. Ms. Ocker has collaborated with VT National Guard to expand services for rural care to Polytrauma/TBI patients, and has worked with academic affiliates to provide quality educational experiences for students in a various programs of study.
Melanie Thompson, MD, MPH, Acting Chief of Staff
Melanie Thompson is a physician leader, mentor, teacher. She is currently the Assistant Chief of Staff for Inpatient Services at the VA in Maine and is detailed as the Acting Chief of Staff at VA White River Junction. She is a Certified Physician Executive and VA Fellow Mentor. She holds an MD degree from the University of Southern California and a Masters of Public Health from UC Berkeley. She completed residency at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency and is Board certified in Family Medicine. She received her Bachelors of Science from San Diego State University and served two years as a secondary science teacher in Kenya as a Peace Corps Volunteer. After 11 years as the Medical Director of Colby College, Waterville, Maine, she served eight years at the VA Maine Healthcare Services, initially as Urgent Care Staff Physician, then six years as Chief of Medicine over the inpatient and outpatient medical specialties.
 Laura Fisher Miraldi, RN, MSN, Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care Services
Laura Fisher Miraldi began her duties as the Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care Services, White River Junction VAMC in June of 2010. Ms. Miraldi obtained her Master of Science degree in nursing from the University of Vermont and her undergraduate degree from City University of New York-Hunter College. She served as the Administrative Officer for Research & Development and the Executive Director of the Collaborative Medical Research Corporation (a VA research & education not-for-profit foundation) from 1997 to 2008. Her previous professional roles have included Research Nurse Coordinator, ICU Nurse Manager and extensive experience at the NY Regional Burn Center of Cornell Medical Center, New York. Ms. Miraldi successfully completed VA’s Healthcare Leadership Institute and graduated from the Executive Career Field development program in 2009. She is a member of the Vermont Organization of Nurse Leaders, the Nurses’ Organization of VA (NOVA), the American Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
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