Leadership Team
C. Diana Nicoll, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.A. | 415-750-2047
Acting Medical Center Director
Diana Nicoll, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.A. has been Chief of Staff at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and Associate Dean, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF) since 1995. She is currently serving as Acting Medical Center Director.
Dr. Nicoll was born in the United Kingdom and has an M.A. degree in Chemistry from the University of Oxford, UK and a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of London, UK. She was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health in preclinical pharmacology. After receiving an MD degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, she did her residency at UCSF in Laboratory Medicine. In 2000, she earned a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Dr. Nicoll has been Chief, Laboratory Medicine Service, SFVAMC and Vice Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at UCSF since 1980, and Clinical Professor of Laboratory Medicine since 1985. From 1987 to 1999 she directed the UCSF Laboratory Medicine Residency Training Program and she was Interim Chair of Laboratory Medicine from 2005-2006.
Dr. Nicoll is lead editor of the Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests (Editions 1-6) published by McGraw Hill and is an annual contributor to Medical Diagnosis and Treatment also published by McGraw Hill.
Karen Arnold, MA, RD | 415-750-2042
Acting Associate Director
Karen Arnold, MA, RD, has been Chief Nutrition and Food Services at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) since 1995. She is currently serving as Acting Associate Director.
Ms. Arnold has an M.A. degree in Management and Human Resources from Webster College in St. Louis Missouri and a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Management from California State University in San Luis Obispo. An Army Veteran, Ms. Arnold joined the US Army Medical Specialist Corp for her dietetic internship in 1979 and served 12.5 years on active duty completing assignments throughout the United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia. She retired from the Army Reserves at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2001.
As Chief, Nutrition and Food Services, Ms. Arnold lead VA Nutrition Services at both the local and national level by spearheading efforts to enhance Veteran experience, support VHA Healthy eating goals and enhance business practices. She served as Chair of the VHA Nutrition Field Advisory Board and the Clinical Nutrition Managers Committee. At the facility level she has been active in Medical Center committees focused on care of the patient, Veteran outreach and most recently as the Chair the Patient Centered Redesign Committee, implementing continuous daily improvement efforts to enhance Veteran care.
Margie Carlton, RN | 415-750-2043
Associate Medical Center Director for Patient Care/Nursing Service
Margie Carlton RN, MS was appointed Associate Director for Patient Care/Nursing at the San Francisco VA Medical Center in 2010. Prior to this, she served as the Associate Director for Patient Care and Nursing at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and also at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center.
Her experience includes a wide range of leadership positions in the private sector including Regional Supervisor for Medicare Review, Chief Nurse at Blackwell Regional Medical Center, and Vice President for Patient Care at Woodward Regional Medical Center. Additionally, Ms. Carlton was Course Coordinator at Connors State College where she was employed as a Nursing Instructor providing both clinical and classroom instruction as well as curriculum development. She began her VA career at the Muskogee VA Medical Center as a staff nurse and has worked in various Nurse Management position as well as staff positions within Nursing.
She has an Associate of Arts from Bacone College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a Minor in Psychology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a Master of Science from the University of Oklahoma. She received the Department of Veterans Affairs Service Award in 2003.
Rina Shah, MD | 415-750-2047
Acting Chief of Staff
Rina N. Shah, M.D., FACP, is the Deputy Chief of Staff at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and Associate Clinical Professor, Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine (UCSF). She is currently serving as Acting Chief of Staff.
Dr. Shah was born in Bombay, India. She is a graduate of Seth G.S. Medical College & K.E.M. Hospital, Bombay, India. She did her residencies at K.E.M. Hospital, Bombay, India and Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA.
As the SFVAMC Director of Medical Practice Clinics, Dr. Shah founded the OEF/OIF Integrated Care Clinic in 2007. She has been responsible for implementing PACT care throughout the Medical Center and served as co-Director of the PACT Collaborative (West Region) in 2010. She currently serves as a member of VA's Primary Care Field Advisory Committee, Primary Care/Mental Health Integration Training and Education Committee and the PACT Academic Model Workgroup.
