Shane Soto took over as interim director at the Hampton VA Healthcare System at the end of March, according to a spokesman for the VA. He comes from the VA in San Antonio, Texas. As an interim appointment, his tenure is expected to last 120 days.
Leadership changes at the local VA look like a game of musical chairs, since Director Taquisa Simmons was removed in 2024 after a series of blistering VA Inspector General’s reports questioning the quality of care at the VA hospital in Hampton.
She was replaced by interim director Walt Dannenberg, who returned to the VA in Long Beach, California, in March, 2025. He was succeeded by Michael Harper, the director of operations at Hampton, who came to the VA after retiring from the Navy following a 20-year career…