Director

based Veterans Integrated Service Network 9, said in a statement. “His sound leadership qualities and proven experience will be valuable assets for the facility, the employees, and volunteers, and most importantly, for the veterans we are honored to serve.”

The Memphis VA center, which includes satellite facilities and serves 196,000 veterans in a 53-county area, has been among the lowest-rated quality of care performers in the VA health care system. Lack of stable leadership has been cited as a key factor.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, applauded the Department of Veterans Affairs’ choice for the Memphis job.

“Last year, I urged then-Under Secretary for Health at the VA Dr. David Shulkin, who is now the Secretary of the VA, to use recruitment rewards and incentives to get the very best director for the Memphis VA Medical Center,” Cohen said in a statement.

“Mr. Dunning comes to us with decades of health care experience within the United States Army, most recently serving as Commander at the Tripler Army Medical Center. My staff and I look forward to working with Mr. Dunning to best serve Memphis-area veterans.”

Tripler Army Medical Center, constructed after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, is the only federal hospital offering the highest level of medical care in the Pacific Basin.

Dunning earned his bachelor’s degree at Furman University, a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and a master’s in public administration in comptrollership from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.