Memphis VA Medical Center appoints Edward Payton executive director, effective February 22, 2026

Leadership transition at a major federal health provider in Memphis

The Memphis VA Medical Center has appointed Edward Payton as executive director, with the appointment effective Feb. 22, 2026. The role places Payton in charge of the facility’s overall operations, including strategy, clinical-support services, staffing, and performance oversight for programs serving veterans across the Memphis area.

The appointment comes as the Veterans Health Administration continues to emphasize stable executive leadership at local medical centers, where directors are responsible for day-to-day management and for meeting national standards tied to access, quality, and patient safety.

Payton’s career path inside VA

Payton’s professional background is rooted in the VA system, beginning in 2013 at the VA Maryland Health Care System as an administrative fellow. He later advanced through multiple administrative and operational roles there, including senior department administrator responsibilities in ambulatory and emergency care, as well as leadership roles connected to practice management and mental health administration.

In 2018, Payton moved to the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, where he held senior roles within the Medical Administration Service. He became chief of that service in 2020 and also served as acting associate medical center director during his tenure in Louisiana.

In January 2022, Payton was selected as associate medical center director and chief operating officer at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System based in Nashville. His assignments have also included interim deputy executive leadership roles at VA facilities in Tennessee and Connecticut and an acting operations leadership assignment at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Illinois. Immediately before the Memphis appointment, he served as interim executive director of the Miami VA Healthcare System.

Credentials and leadership development

Payton is a graduate of the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, a federal leadership pipeline used to prepare executives for senior-level roles across government. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a professional credential that signals experience and continuing education in health care management.

What the executive director role typically governs

At VA medical centers, the executive director role commonly coordinates across clinical leadership, nursing leadership, and operations teams to execute facility priorities. In practice, the job blends operational management with accountability for outcomes that affect veterans’ care experience.

• Aligning staffing, budgeting, and operational capacity with patient demand
• Coordinating access to services across inpatient, outpatient, and specialty programs
• Overseeing organizational performance in quality, safety, and patient experience metrics
• Maintaining partnerships that support training, recruitment, and care coordination

Payton’s appointment is effective Feb. 22, 2026, marking the start of his tenure leading the Memphis VA Medical Center.

The medical center’s leadership page lists an executive director role as part of its top management team, alongside positions including associate medical center director/COO, assistant medical center director, chief of staff, and nurse executive—roles that together shape operational execution and clinical governance.