Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (SORCC)

Sharon Kalvels was appointed as the Associate Director for the VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics (SORCC) on February 27, 2011. Prior to that time, Sharon served as Chief of Nutrition and Food Services at the SORCC.

Sharon served as Acting Medical Center Associate Director at the SORCC during 2007 and 2010 and at the Walla Walla VAMC during 2010. Previous nutrition and food services leadership positions Sharon held were located at VAMC’s in Colorado, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

As a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Sharon was a Dietetic Internship Preceptor for the OHSU/VA academic affiliate program; she served as reviewer for the American Dietetic Association’s Commission on Accreditation of Dietetic Education.

Sharon began her professional career as a university instructor. Sharon obtained a Master’s Degree in nutrition and food science from South Dakota State University, following a Dietetic Internship at Saint Francis Hospital Medical Center in Illinois. Sharon received a Bachelor’s Degree in nutrition and food science from Colorado State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Chadron State College.

On a national level, Sharon was a senior examiner for the DVA Robert W. Carey Quality Award Program; Vice Chair of the Nutrition Field Advisory Committee; project manager for VISN 20 Food Services Management Analysis Business Process Reengineering performance improvement initiative; consultant for VHA’s System Wide Ongoing Assessment Review Strategies; graduate of 2005 VHA Executive Career Field Leadership Development Program; and alumna of Leadership VA 2008.

Sharon was the recipient of the 2009 Under Secretary for Health’s Award in Nutrition Excellence; American College of Healthcare Executive’s tuition waiver for the Congress on Healthcare Leadership 2009; and a VA SORCC Outstanding Leadership Pigasus Award 2004 recipient.  As a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Sharon served as a Career Counselor for the Healthcare Executive Career Resource Center.

Dr. Donnelly is an Oregon Native graduating from University of Oregon Health Sciences Center (now OHSU) in 1979. After finishing an Internal Medicine Residency at Providence Portland Medical Center and becoming Board Certified in 1982 he began practice in Baker City, Oregon, before moving to Medford, Oregon in 1984 as part of small group of Internal Medicine specialists. In 1997 he joined the medical staff at the White City VA SORCC. There he served as an Ambulatory Care physician then assumed the role of Ambulatory Care Chief before being named Chief of Medicine.  Dr. Donnelly transferred to the Bend, Oregon, VA CBOC in 2005 and assumed the role of Group Practice Manager.  While in that role the Bend VA Clinic was earned the “Outstanding Primary Care Team in the VA” award in 2008.
Dr. Donnelly has served as Chair of the VISN 20 Primary Care Committee for several years, and also serves on the National VA committees for the Primary Care Field Advisory Committee, Veteran Centered Care Committee, and Lipid Management Workgroups.