Retired Air Force colonel to head VA Medical Center at Northport

A retired Air Force colonel with 30 years in the military has been named director of the VA Medical Center at Northport.

D. Scott Guermonprez joined the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2014 as an associate director of the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, and was named permanent director in September.

He will take over at Northport effective June 26.

“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,” said Dr. Joan E. McInerney, who directs VA medical services for New York and New Jersey.

Guermonprez’s experience in medical administration comes mostly from his service at Defense Department medical centers.

He has been a health system administrator at six defense medical centers and three headquarters locations, according to Northport spokesman Todd Goodman. In that time, he spent three years as medical center director for the 82nd Medical Group at Sheppard Air Force Base, and 11 months as director for administration at the Medical Education and Training Campus, at Ft. Sam Houston, Texas.

At Albany, Guermonprez directed a network that covered eastern New York and parts of western Massachusetts and Vermont, and employed 1,200 employees, according to news reports.

Northport has a staff of 1,800 employees and sees about 31,000 patients each year. It also offers medical care and psychological services at satellite clinics across Long Island.

Northport’s previous director, Philip C. Moschitta, retired effective April 1, and was replaced by interim director Vincent F. Immiti.