Last Updated: October 4, 2026 Reading Time: 7 min
The VA VISN map for 2026 has five networks where there used to be 18. VA's own VISN page now says the department "comprises 5 Veterans Integrated Service Networks," and the VA Inspector General records that the new networks took on initial operational responsibilities on July 15, 2026. This page is a text lookup of that map: which states sit in each VISN, who runs it, and how the 18 new Health Service Areas divide the country.
| New VISN | Director | Health Service Areas | Facilities listed | States and territories on VA's map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISN 1 | Ryan Lilly | 3 (1.1 to 1.3) | 43 | CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, WV |
| VISN 2 | Dr. Wendell Jones | 4 (2.1 to 2.4) | 29 | AL, FL, GA, NC, SC, VA, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| VISN 3 | Dr. Dan Zomchek | 3 (3.1 to 3.3) | 35 | IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, ND, OH, SD, TN, WI |
| VISN 4 | Fernando Rivera | 3 (4.1 to 4.3) | 36 | AR, CO, KS, LA, MO, MS, NE, OK, TX, UT, WY |
| VISN 5 | Dr. Teresa Boyd | 5 (5.1 to 5.5) | 30 | AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, WA, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands |
| Total | 18 | 173 |
Sources: VA's Veterans Integrated Service Networks page (updated September 17, 2026) for the state lists; VA's RISE leadership page (updated July 14, 2026) for directors and Health Service Areas. Facility counts are a FedTools count of the facility entries on that roster, which include some outpatient sites. VA describes the system as 139 health care systems, and one system can have several facilities.
Which Health Service Area Is Your VA In?
VA's RISE leadership page assigns every listed facility to one of 18 Health Service Areas (HSAs). VA's own map title describes them as "crossing state lines," so the HSA is the unit to check.
| HSA | Executive director | Where its facilities are | Facilities listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Brett Rusch | MA, NH, ME, VT, RI, CT, upstate New York | 16 |
| 1.2 | Bruce Tucker | New York metro area, eastern Pennsylvania, NJ, DE | 14 |
| 1.3 | Daniel Ducker (acting) | MD, DC, WV, western Pennsylvania | 13 |
| 2.1 | Alyshia Smith | NC, VA | 7 |
| 2.2 | Benita Miller (acting) | AL, Georgia (Atlanta, Carrollton, Dublin) | 8 |
| 2.3 | David Dunning | FL, Puerto Rico | 10 |
| 2.4 | Kevin Amick | SC, Georgia (Augusta) | 4 |
| 3.1 | Dr. Anthony Stazzone | TN, OH, KY | 12 |
| 3.2 | Steph Young | IL, IN, lower Michigan | 10 |
| 3.3 | Judy Johnson-Mekota | IA, MN, ND, SD, WI, Omaha (NE), Iron Mountain (MI) | 13 |
| 4.1 | Dr. Stephanie Repasky | LA, MS, AR, OK, Houston (TX) | 11 |
| 4.2 | Sunaina Kumar-Giebel | CO, KS, MO, UT, WY, Grand Island (NE), Marion (IL) | 15 |
| 4.3 | Dr. Jamie Park (acting) | Texas outside Houston | 10 |
| 5.1 | David Wood | WA, OR, ID, MT | 10 |
| 5.2 | Ada Clark | northern California, NV | 9 |
| 5.3 | Walt Dannenberg | AZ, NM, southern California | 9 |
| 5.4 | Craig Carter (acting) | AK | 1 |
| 5.5 | Tom Steinbrunner | HI | 1 |
Source: VA RISE leadership page, updated July 14, 2026. Directors and acting designations are as listed on that date. Facility counts are FedTools counts of the facility entries under each HSA, which include some outpatient sites.
The smallest HSAs are Alaska and Hawaii, with one listed facility each. The largest is HSA 1.1, covering New England and upstate New York, with 16.
The two state-line exceptions
VA's VISN map is drawn by state. Its facility roster is not, and the two disagree in two places:
- Omaha VA Medical Center is listed under HSA 3.3, which belongs to VISN 3. VA's state list puts Nebraska in VISN 4. Grand Island, Nebraska is in HSA 4.2, which matches the state list.
- Marion VA Medical Center in Illinois is listed under HSA 4.2, which belongs to VISN 4. VA's state list puts Illinois in VISN 3.
If you work at or use either facility, the roster is the better guide to who your leadership is.
When 18 VISNs Became 5: The Dates
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| December 15, 2025 | VA announced its intent to reorganize the Veterans Health Administration, with details promised in early 2026 and changes over 18 to 24 months. The release gives no VISN count. | VA news release |
| February 11, 2026 | Secretary Doug Collins testified to the House Veterans' Affairs Committee on the reorganization. | Hearing statement |
| May 1, 2026 | The Under Secretary for Health announced the consolidation of VISNs from 18 networks to 5. | VA OIG report 26-00084-274 |
| July 14, 2026 | VA updated its roster of 5 VISN directors and 18 HSA executive directors. | VA RISE leadership page |
| July 15, 2026 | The new VISNs assumed initial operational responsibilities. | VA OIG report 26-00084-274 |
| September 17, 2026 | VA's public VISN page updated to show 5 networks. | VA VISN page |
VA calls the effort RISE, for Restructure for Impact and Sustainability Effort. Before it, VA ran 18 VISNs, so 13 of the 18 (72%) no longer exist as separate networks. The original 1995 design had 22.
One name is known so far. In Inspector General correspondence, the new VISN 1 is the "VA North Atlantic Health Network." We did not find names for VISNs 2 through 5, and VA has not published headquarters cities for any of the five.
What Changes for VA Employees, and What VA Says Does Not
Reporting lines have changed. Medical center directors now route through an HSA executive director to one of five VISN directors. Inspector General memos are already addressed that way, for example to "Director, VISN 1" and "Director, Health Service Area 1.1."
VA says hospital and clinic staffing does not change. Secretary Collins told the House committee: "This is not a reduction in force (RIF), and this is not an effort to diminish direct care for Veterans." He also testified that staffing and operations at VA medical centers and clinics will not change as part of the reorganization. That is a commitment from VA leadership, with no legal guarantee behind it.
VISN office staff have the least information. VA's RISE page says, "No offices or positions will be eliminated through this restructure." It does not say where network-office positions will sit now that 18 networks are 5. We found no VA document announcing a RIF, a directed reassignment, a relocation, or a VERA or VSIP offer for VISN staff.
Two rules matter if that changes.
The RIF regulation. Under 5 CFR 351.201(a)(2), an agency must follow reduction-in-force procedures when a reorganization causes it to release a competing employee by separation, demotion, furlough of more than 30 days, or a reassignment that requires displacing someone. A reorganization that moves a position without one of those releases does not trigger RIF procedures. This rule covers employees under 5 CFR part 351. Title 38 clinical staff, such as physicians and nurses, are covered by VA's own staffing rules.
The congressional notice rule. Under 38 U.S.C. 510(b), VA may not carry out a covered reorganization until it sends Congress a detailed plan and waits 45 days, at least 30 of them while Congress is in session. The trigger is a staffing cut of 15% or more in a year at a covered VA office, or 25% across two years. A consolidation that keeps the same number of full-time staff on the work is excluded. We found no public copy of a section 510(b) report for RISE.
New Mexico's delegation wrote to Secretary Collins on August 12, 2026 asking for dedicated regional leadership for the state inside the new structure. Dr. Kenneth Kizer, who designed the original VISN system, told the House committee in February that now was not the right time for a major restructuring.
For the wider picture, see our VA reorganization employee guide and the VA workforce rumors vs. confirmed tracker.
Check Where You Stand
No early-out offer has been announced for VISN staff. If one comes, eligibility turns on two numbers. The free VERA Eligibility Checker takes your age and years of service and checks them against the early-out age and service test. The Severance Pay Calculator takes your salary, years of service and age and estimates severance if a RIF ever applied to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many VISNs does VA have in 2026?
Five. VA's VISN page, updated September 17, 2026, says the department "comprises 5 Veterans Integrated Service Networks." There were 18 before. The VA Inspector General records that the consolidation was announced May 1, 2026 and that the new VISNs took on initial operational responsibilities July 15, 2026.
Which VISN is my VA medical center in now?
Look up the facility, not the state. VA assigns each listed facility to one of 18 Health Service Areas inside the five VISNs. Two facilities sit outside their state's shading on VA's map: Omaha, Nebraska reports to VISN 3, and Marion, Illinois reports to VISN 4.
What is a VA Health Service Area?
It is a new layer between the VISN and the medical center. There are 18, each with an executive director, and VA's own map describes them as crossing state lines. Facility directors now route through their HSA director to one of the five VISN directors.
Did VA announce the 18-to-5 change in December 2025?
No. The December 15, 2025 release announced the intent to reorganize, with details promised for early 2026 and changes over 18 to 24 months. It gives no VISN count. The VA Inspector General dates the 18-to-5 announcement to May 1, 2026.
Where are the new VISN headquarters?
VA has not published them. VA's VISN page, its RISE pages and the congressional testimony we read do not name headquarters cities for the five new networks. Treat any city list you see as unconfirmed.
Is VA doing a RIF of VISN staff?
None has been announced. VA's RISE page says the restructure eliminates no offices or positions, and Secretary Collins testified that it is not a reduction in force. If a reorganization forces a separation, a demotion, or a reassignment that displaces someone, the RIF rules at 5 CFR 351.201 apply to employees covered by part 351.
Does anything change at my VA hospital or clinic?
VA says no. Secretary Collins testified that staffing and operations at VA medical centers and clinics will not change as part of the reorganization. Reporting lines have changed: a hospital director now answers to an HSA executive director inside one of five VISNs.
Did VA have to notify Congress before reorganizing?
Under 38 U.S.C. 510(b), VA must send Congress a detailed plan and wait 45 days, at least 30 of them while Congress is in session, but only for a reorganization that cuts staffing at a covered office by 15% or more in a year, or 25% across two years. Consolidations that keep the same staffing on the work are excluded. We found no public section 510(b) report for RISE.
Related Resources
- VERA Eligibility Checker: Whether your age and service meet the early-out test.
- Severance Pay Calculator: Severance from salary, service and age.
- VA Reorganization 2026: Employee Guide: The broader reorganization and what it means by role.
- VA Workforce 2026: Rumors vs. Confirmed: What VA has and has not confirmed.
Sources: VA Veterans Integrated Service Networks page (updated September 17, 2026); VA RISE leadership roster (updated July 14, 2026); VA RISE overview; VA OIG report 26-00084-274 (September 23, 2026); VA news release, December 15, 2025; statements of Secretary Douglas A. Collins and Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, February 11, 2026; letter from the New Mexico congressional delegation, August 12, 2026; 38 U.S.C. 510; 5 CFR 351.201.