Medical Center Director

Mr. William Montague was appointed Medical Center Director at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center on March 31, 1997. As the Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for an annual budget of $562 million dollars and a staff of over 3700. Programs under his direction deliver healthcare services to over 88,000 veterans annually in 14 locations throughout Northeast Ohio. Mr. Montague is past chair of the Cleveland Federal Executive Board, coordinating the activities of eighty-seven federal agencies in greater Cleveland. He serves on the boards of the United Way, the American Red Cross, and University Circle Corporation. He is President of the Cleveland VA Medical Research and Education Foundation, which has assets exceeding $ 1 million. He was awarded the Presidential Rank Award by William Clinton in 2000 and George W. Bush in 2006. He was selected as a Federal Employee of the Year in 1999. He is a Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives. Mr. Montague is also a graduate of Xavier University, from which he holds a BS/BA in Business Administration and an MHA in Hospital Administration. Mr. Montague began his service to veterans in 1975 as an Administrative Resident at the Cincinnati, Ohio, VAMC. He entered the Medical Administration Training Program at Lexington, VA, moving to the VAMC in Butler, PA as Assistant Chief, and White River Junction, VT as Chief. Mr. Montague also served as Medical District Coordinator in Lexington. After returning to White River Junction as Staff Assistant to the Director, he entered the Associate Director Training Program at Providence, and first served as Associate Director at Syracuse VAMC. Mr. Montague served as Associate Director of the University Drive VA Medical Center in Pittsburgh. He also served as Acting Director in Pittsburgh, and Acting Director of Bath, New York, VAMC. Prior to his appointment in Cleveland, he was Medical Center Director at VA Medical Centers in Montrose and Castle Point, NY.

Chief of Staff, VISN 10 Service Line Manager

Dr. Murray Altose was appointed Chief of Staff (Wade Park Division) at the Cleveland VA in August 1988 and Service Line Manager for Tertiary Medical/Surgical Care in VISN 10, effective June 19, 1997. Dr. Altose is the chief of clinical staff at both the Brecksville and the Wade Park Division. Dr. Altose was appointed Associate Professor of Medicine in 1977, Professor of Medicine in 1984, and Associate Dean for Veterans Affairs in 1988 by the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Altose has served as President of the National Association of VA Chiefs of Staff (NAVACOS). In 2002, he was a finalist in the Frank Brown Berry Award for his leadership in transforming patient care delivery. Dr. Altose is recognized within his subspecialty profession with numerous appointments, including a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Physiology (1984-93) and editorial referee on the editorial boards for the Journal of Applied Physiology - Respiratory Physiology, American Review of Respiratory Disease published by the New England Journal of Medicine, Archives of Internal Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and the European Respiratory Journal. Dr. Altose has served appointments on over 13 national committees for professional medical societies and three national VA Committees. Dr. Altose has been directly responsible for the publication of over 215 professional medical articles on various Pulmonary Medicine and research issues including 96 abstracts, 79 original papers, and 40 miscellaneous papers. Dr. Altose graduated from the University of Manitoba with a bachelor's of science and doctor of medicine degrees. He completed post-graduate training in internal and critical care medicine (1966-69) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and in pulmonary medicine at the Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital (1970-71), followed by a two-year fellowship in pulmonary diseases at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Clinical appointments have included those in respiratory intensive care and pulmonary medicine at Philadelphia General Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania hospital. He holds certification in internal medicine and pulmonary diseases from the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, a Diplomat in Pulmonary Diseases and Internal Medicine in the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Associate Director

Ms. Susan Fuehrer was appointed as Associate Director of the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center on January 22, 2006. Ms. Fuehrer previously served as the Chief Information Officer for the Ohio Veterans Integrated Service Network from April 1, 2001 until her appointment as Associate Director. Ms. Fuehrer began her career with the Department of Veterans Affairs 22 years ago as a management intern at the Brockton/West Roxbury VAMC. She subsequently held numerous staff and line positions at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC from May, 1986 to April, 2001. Ms. Fuehrer is a 1986 graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Healthcare Administration and a 1990 graduate of the Case Western Reserve University with a Masters in Business Administration. She is member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.