VA Capitol Health Care Network
VHA
Dr. Ivy Latoja Pacis stands as a beacon of excellence in interprofessional education, leadership, organizational management, systems redesign, quality management, patient safety, cardiac medicine, critical care, and vascular access. With a profound dedication to healthcare improvement, Dr. Pacis has significantly advanced the V.A. Capitol Health Care Network's (VISN 5) high-reliability organization (HRO) maturity. Her efforts have fostered a culture of safety and continuous process improvement, benefiting both patients and staff.
As the HRO Lead of VISN 5, Dr. Pacis presides over six facilities across West Virginia, Maryland, and the V.A. flagship hospital in Washington, DC. Her leadership is marked by unwavering responsibility and accountability for Veterans' care, integrating programs that cross service and discipline lines, shaping the organizational mission, and enhancing healthcare delivery.
One of Dr. Pacis's notable initiatives is the VISN 5 Coin of Excellence Award, which recognizes employees who embody the HRO Pillars, Principles, and Values. Under her guidance, the network has achieved eight HeRO Award recognitions in the past ten quarters. She also spearheads the dissemination of strong and promising practices within the network, catalyzing innovative projects such as the Shark Tank competition, which saw 22 out of 54 submitted projects reach the semi-finals.
Dr. Pacis developed a pioneering blueprint for HRO Baseline Training, successfully training 95% of the network's 13,000 employees within a fiscal year. She continues to replicate this success as the network embarks on providing Teams Training for more than 6,000 employees. Additionally, she created a live interactive Dashboard to track HRO maturity, ensuring transparency and strategic direction for all HRO Leads, HRO Champions, and executives.
Joining the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2014 after a decade at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Pacis has ascended through various pivotal roles, including Critical Care Nurse Educator, Quality, Safety, Improvement & Accreditation Specialist, Clinical Nurse Reviewer, Chief Nurse Executive, and Chief of Staff. Her leadership transformed the organization from the lowest 10% to the top 10% of facilities in 18 months by enhancing inpatient quality measures. She also led her network to become the most improved in the Organizational Health Index, from number 16 to number 2, in less than three years.
Dr. Pacis holds numerous certifications, including Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) with a subspecialty in Medical Cardiology (CMC), Nurse Executive (NE-BC), Nurse Educator (CNE), and Professional of Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). She is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), VHA-trained Prosci Practitioner and Arbinger Trainer, and recently obtained her Lean Black Belt.
Her academic credentials are equally impressive. She earned an Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice and Nurse Educator Post Master Certificate from Johns Hopkins School of Nursing as a Cohen Scholar, a dual degree in Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix (with distinction), and a BSN from Central Philippine University.
Dr. Pacis is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), American Nurses Association (ANA), National League of Nurses (NLN), American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She serves as faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, advising 32 doctoral nursing candidates across Advanced Practice Clinical Practice and Executive/MBA tracks.
With boundless dedication and a visionary approach, Dr. Pacis continues to influence the healthcare landscape, driving excellence and championing meaningful improvements in patient care and safety.
Where Rubber Meets the Road: Accelerating High Reliability with the HRO Optimization Model
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
4:30pm - 5:30pm CT