The best technology is the kind you never have to think about because it’s already working flawlessly in the background. Three VA employees have been making that behind-the-scenes magic happen so well that TechNation magazine named them to its 2026 “40 Under 40” list, celebrating rising stars in healthcare technology management.
Honorees are selected based on their professional achievements, contributions to the healthcare technology management community and the positive influence they have on their organizations, colleagues and the future of the profession.
Congratulations to these VA employees:
Dillon Florence: VA Providence
Dillon Florence works as part of the Healthcare Technology Management team at VA Providence. Like a high-tech pit crew, while clinicians are providing care, Florence and his team make sure the tools and equipment they rely on is dependable, safe and ready when needed.
From imaging machines to ventilators and patient monitors, his team keeps critical medical technology functioning properly so providers can stay focused on delivering high-quality care.
Christie Pascua: VA Houston
Pascua is a biomedical engineer at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. Working in such a large facility with complex systems means she’s constantly solving puzzles. And for Pascua, that’s the best part:
“What I enjoy most about my job is that every day brings something new and it keeps me on my toes. Knowing that our efforts contribute to better outcomes for those who have served makes all the hard work truly rewarding.”
After five years at VA, Pascua brings the same energy to her role that she had on day one. Every system she safeguards is proof that her work doesn’t just solve technical challenges; it directly supports better outcomes for the Veterans she’s proud to serve.
Nadia ElKaissi: VA Central Office
From VA Central Office, ElKaissi helps protect VA’s landscape of connected medical devices as part of the Networking and Cybersecurity division in Healthcare Technology Management. She says her job is to make sure the technology intended to keep patients safe IS safe.
“Hospitals are full of connected medical devices, and my job is to make sure those devices are secure, properly tracked and protected from cyberthreats without getting in the way of patient care. It really combines cybersecurity, biomedical engineering, and a lot of problem solving.”
The stakes are high. A single compromised device can derail care, delay treatment or put a Veteran at risk. ElKaissi’s job is to prevent that from ever happening.
“The goal is really to make sure the technology is there and working when Veterans and clinicians need it,” says ElKaissi.
Contributors: Maureen Dyman, communications director, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Hope Smetanka, public affairs specialist, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Justyn Charon, VA Providence Public Affairs and Outreach.
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