Richard Citron, 63, has announced his retirement as director of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, after nearly four decades in VA healthcare.
Citron has been director of the center since August 2007 and will officially retire May 1, according to a statement from Philadelphia VA. “The medical center has seen rapid growth with the budget increasing 17% to nearly $385 million annually,” during his tenure, the statement said.
Programs that were expanded under Citron’s watch include behavioral health, home-based primary care, women’s health, homeless programs and interventional cardiology.
The Philadelphia VA has also enrolled several thousand veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq, and expects more as additional Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers return from deployment.
“I am especially proud of the programs for this new generation of combat Veterans,” Citron said in his announcement.
The Philadelphia VA is a tertiary-care facility affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and provides healthcare to more than 60,000 veterans in Philadelphia and six surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
A national search will be conducted for a new director, according to a Philadelphia VA spokesman.
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