Karen T. Malebranche
Executive Director, Office of Interagency Health Affairs (10P5), Veterans Health Administration                                                                                                                                                             

COL (Ret.) Karen Malebranche, RN, MSN, CNS, is the Executive Director for Interagency Health Affairs in the Veterans Health Administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In this capacity, she is responsible for VHA/DoD collaboration, sharing agreements, OEF/OIF/OND outreach and numerous coordination activities with other national and international agencies on Veteran issues, and policy and services guidance. From September 2007 to January 2009, she was the Executive Director for the Operation Enduring Freedom/ Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Office and served on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Task Force on the Returning Global War on Terror Heroes. Prior to this, she was the Program Coordinator for Clinical and Case Management in the Office of Seamless Transition and the Chief of the State Home Per Diem Grant Program in the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care.

COL (Ret.) Malebranche received her civilian undergraduate degree from the University of Portland and her graduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She served 31 years in the U.S. Army as an active duty soldier, nurse, senior health systems analyst, program manager, and in various clinical and administrative roles. COL (Ret.) Malebranche is a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College.

She came to VA after her last active duty assignment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, where she was the Director of the Programs and Benefits Directorate at the TRICARE Management Activity. Previous assignments include: Chief, Coordinated Care/TRICARE Division, U.S. Army Medical Command, and Ft. Sam Houston/Office of the Surgeon General; Chief Nurse, Joint Task Force (JTF) Bravo, Honduras; Ft. Campbell; Ft. Rucker; Ft. Ord; Ft. Gordon; Hawaii; and Korea. She has presented at numerous conferences on managed care, resource management, case/care management, and TRICARE. She served as the Chairperson-elect at the National Association of State Veteran Homes and as consultant on the Board of the Armed Forces Veterans Home Foundation. She currently is on the Advisory Board for the first Federal Healthcare facility for the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, co chairs the care and collaboration workgroup for the VA Women Veteran Task Force, and co chairs the governance and policy tiger team on the DoD/VA Wounded Warrior Care and Coordination Task Force. COL (Ret.) Malebranche has worked on numerous VA/DoD initiatives that have greatly enhanced services for Service Members, Veterans, and their families.

COL (Ret.) Malebranche has received numerous military and civilian awards for her service as a soldier and an advanced practice nurse.