Dat Hoang-Gia is a geriatric Clinical Nurse Specialist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). He graduated from San Francisco State University with a Master of Science in Nursing, and has been at the VA since 2012. Mr. Hoang-Gia enjoys working with the Veteran population.  As a Veteran himself, he feels it is important to give back to those who have served. 

Over the past 5 years, Mr. Hoang-Gia’s focus has been with older adults and those with dementia. He is part of an interdisciplinary team that provides consult serves along with primary care. As a member the Stanford University/VA Geriatric Fellowship program, he leads workshops for fellows and interns, focusing on geriatrics and dementia management. He also works closely with RNs and the RN new grad program. Mr. Hoang-Gia serves on the Palo Alto Nursing Professional Standards Boards and serves as the chair for the Palo Alto Dementia Committee.

Stuti Dang, MD, MPH

Dr. Dang is an experienced geriatrician and researcher, and the Associate Director for Implementation and Outcomes Research in the Miami GRECC. She has been a PI or co-investigator on multiple projects funded by the VA, NIH, and DOD for implementing care models that leverage technology for high need veterans with complex chronic conditions and their caregivers. She has extensive expertise in caregiver issues, care coordination, and telehealth interventions for chronic disease management in the elderly. She seeks to understand the needs and need gaps of frail, older, high-need high-risk veterans and their caregivers to allow aging in place. 

In the past, Dr. Dang has worked to develop successful telemedicine approaches, supplemented with evidence-based innovative interventions for better management of patients with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Her funded technology projects strive to establish usability and utility of various technologies including home telehealth, video, mobile, and web-interventions, in different settings, including home based primary care. Her projects are designed with the intent to empower patients and their caregivers to become informed partners in their health care, by helping them increase their problem-solving ability and by providing them needed resources.

Stephanie Hartz, LCSW
Eastern Colorado GRECC
Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center

Stephanie Hartz, LCSW, BCD is a geriatric and palliative care telehealth social worker at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, CO. Ms. Hartz has been the Eastern Colorado tele-geriatrics/dementia social worker since November 2010. She also spent eight years working on the Denver Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) team and helped establish the Pueblo HBPC team for southern Colorado veterans and their care partners. Ms. Hartz also served as the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) liaison for the Total Long-term Care veterans enrolled in the Denver and Pueblo areas for one and a half years. The tele-palliative care clinic was a natural expansion of services for rural and highly rural veterans that originated in 2016.

Ms. Hartz received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006. She worked in long-term care and skilled nursing homes in Wisconsin and Denver for several years, earning her Masters of Social Work from the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver in 2010. Stephanie has a concentration in adults and clinical work with a certificate in Interpersonal Trauma Studies. Ms. Hartz completed a post Master’s certification in Palliative and End-of-Life Care through Smith College School for Social Work in May 2021.

In January 2022, Stephanie became the GRECC Connect/Virtual Geriatrics site director for the Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC).

Lauren Moo, MD 
New England GRECC
VA Bedford Healthcare System

Dr. Moo is the Bedford site director for the New England GRECC, the VISN-1 lead for GRECC Connect VIRTUAL Geriatrics and leads the GRECC Connect Evaluation core. As a Physician Researcher with a background as a behavioral neurologist, Dr. Moo’s research focuses on the study of Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and older adults’ use of technology. Dr. Moo directs multiple telehealth-related initiatives that increase access to specialized geriatric care and education for rural providers and their Veterans.

Leah Walker, MSW, CAPSW
Madison GRECC
William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital

Leah Walker is a medical social worker for the GRECC Connect VIRTUAL Geriatrics at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, WI.  Her clinical work focuses on psychosocial assessment, gathering collateral information to supplement neuropsychological and geriatric evaluations, assisting patients and families with complex psychosocial issues, and providing resources for caregivers.  She contributes to collaborative outreach efforts to expand services to rural Veterans in WI and IL.