Leadership Team
A. Rudy Klopfer, FACHE/VHA-CM | 785-350-3111
Director
Mr. A. Rudy Klopfer was appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as Director, VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System on August 31, 2012. Mr. Klopfer is responsible for a two campus VA Health Care System in Topeka and Leavenworth, Kansas. VA Eastern Kansas is a 1c complexity health care system comprising 450 operating beds which includes 138 long term care beds, a 150-bed domiciliary, and 8 community-based clinics in eastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri. He provides care to over 41,500 Veterans in a 37-county area with more than 2000 employees. VAEKHCS offers significant inpatient and outpatient services with a focus on primary care, mental health treatment and extended care. Mr. Klopfer’s last assignment was at Durham, North Carolina VA Medical Center where he served as Associate Director from August 2009. He also served as Acting Director at the Durham VAMC from February to July 2012. From July-August 2013, Mr. Klopfer served a 45-day detail as the Acting Director at St. Louis VA.
Lisa Curnes, MHA, RN, BSN | 913-682-2000
Associate Director
Lisa Curnes was appointed as the Associate Director of the Eastern Kansas Health Care System on September 2, 2018. She has over 24 years of health care experience in the provision of care to Veterans within the VA Health Care System. Ms. Curnes graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science and Nursing from the University of Iowa in 2003 and received her Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Des Moines University in 2006. She also currently holds certifications as Fellow Mentor and Facility Planning/Project Management. She has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility to include her previous role as the Chief of Prosthetics, Acting Associate Director, Acting VISN 23 Prosthetic Manager and Acting Chief of Logistics. In 2011 Ms. Curnes Prosthetic team received the Prosthetic Service of the Year award from across the nation. Ms. Curnes is currently enrolled in the Corporate Executive Development Training (CEDT) Program for 2018 and was a recent graduate of the Health Care Leadership Development Program (HCLDP). In 2016 she was named by the Under Secretary of Health as a Gold Status Fellow for her work with the development and spread of the promising practice of the JumpStart program which is an onboarding program for new employees at VHA that has been spread across the enterprise to multiple VA Health Care Systems.
Michael Leeson, MD | 785-350-3111 Ext. 52788
Chief of Staff
Dr. Leeson completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology, Molecular Genetics, and Immunology as well as his M.D. at The University of Kansas. He is residency trained in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Leeson held the role of Interim Chief of Staff for VAEKHCS beginning in September 2017 before being announced as the permanent Chief of Staff in January of 2018. Prior to coming to the VA, Dr. Leeson practiced psychiatry in the community mental health setting, as well as, the state hospital system. His non-VA leadership experience has included serving as the Clinical Director at Rainbow Mental Health Facility, serving as the clinical lead for a Kansas Mental Health pharmacy benefits management system, and serving as the Chief Medical Officer for Kansas Health Solutions, a Kansas Medicaid Mental Health Managed Care Organization. He joined VA EKHCS in 2008 as a fee-basis psychiatrist, coming on board as a fulltime staff member in 2012. He served as the Behavioral Health Service Line Manager from 2014 through 2017.
Alfred Jay “AJ” Mooney, MHSA/VHA-CM | 785-350-3111
Assistant Director
AJ Mooney was appointed as the Assistant Director on September 27th, 2020. Mr. Mooney is responsible for executive oversight of Business Office operations, Nutrition and Food Service, Environmental Management Services, Prosthetics, Police Services, the Education office, Chaplain Services, and the Veteran Experience Office. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Director, Mr. Mooney served as Director of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Health Center in Mayetta, KS. Prior to that Mr. Mooney served as the Supervisory Administrative Officer of Behavioral Health at VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System from 2013 to 2017 where he also served as a post graduate Administrative Fellow in 2012. A retired U.S. Marine, Mr. Mooney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Human Resources from Park University in 2009 and received his master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Kansas in 2012. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he also holds a graduate certificate in Health Care Analytics and is a Veterans Health Affairs Certified Mentor.
Dennis Clapp, MSN, RN | 785-350-3111
Assoc. Dir., Pt Care Svcs
Dennis Clapp was appointed as the Associate Director of Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive, VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System (VAEKHCS) on September 1, 2019. Mr. Clapp is responsible for executive oversight of the provision of care and professional nursing practice in the Primary and Specialty Care Outpatient Clinics, Home Based Primary Care, Telephone Triage, Telehealth, Inpatient Acute Care Units, Surgical Services Department, Ambulatory Procedure Units, Emergency Departments, Inpatient/Outpatient Behavioral Health Units, and Community Living Centers. Mr. Clapp also has executive oversight for the Sterile Processing Service and Community Care Network Service Line. A native of central Iowa, he earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Iowa in 1991. He received a Master’s of Science Degree in Nursing for Health Care Systems Management from Loyola University New Orleans in 2007. Mr. Clapp has 23 years of service working for VA and joins us here at VAEKHCS from Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital where he was an Associate Chief Nurse since June 2017.
