Leadership Team
Marc Cooperman, M.D. | 614-257-5450
Interim Director
Dr. Cooperman received his bachelor's degree at Yale University in 1969, and moved on to Stanford University where he graduated as an M.D. in 1973. He completed his general surgery residency at The Ohio State University (OSU), and then transitioned into full-time faculty in the OSU School of Medicine. Dr. Cooperman has authored and/or co-authored over 60 publications in the field of general surgery, and maintained a general surgery private practice for 17 years. Still heavily involved in teaching while running his private practice, Dr. Cooperman helped develop a Level I Trauma Center at St. Anthony Medical Center. He arrived at the Columbus VA ACC in 2002 as a staff physician and was named Chief of Specialty and Acute Care at the Columbus VA ACC in 2008. Dr. Cooperman was born in Washington D.C. and is married with four children.
Christopher Yingling | 614-257-5454
Associate Director
Mr. Christopher Yingling was appointed Associate Director of the Columbus VA in May 2021. Prior to this appointment he worked as a financial specialist in the Department of Defense and was the Fiscal Service Chief at the Chillicothe, Lexington (acting) and Cincinnati VAHCS. Before joining the VA, he served on active duty in the Army from 2003 to 2004 and in the National Guard from 1997 to 2004. In his current role, Mr. Yingling will serve as a full deputy of the health care system, working closely with each department to meet the needs of Veterans and employees. He has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Evansville. He is a current participant in the Health Care Leadership Development Program class of 2021. Mr. Yingling and his wife have three daughters and one son.
M. Allison Arensman, MD | 614-257-5465
Interim Chief of Staff
Dr. Arensman received her undergraduate degree in Bioethics from Princeton University. She completed her Medical Doctorate from Dartmouth Medical School and a Masters in Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business. She completed her Orthopedic Surgery Residency at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the VA Quality Scholars Fellowship at the Atlanta VA. She joined the Columbus VA in 2019 and has served as the Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Education and as a staff physician in Orthopedics. She enjoys clinical teaching and engaging medical trainees in healthcare quality improvement and innovation.
Susan Williams | 614-257-5560
Associate Director for Patient Care Services
Ms. Susan Williams was appointed to the position of Associate Director for Patient Care Services (ADPCS) on March 18, 2018. Ms. Williams’s most recent role was Associate Chief Nurse for Specialty and Surgery Services. In this capacity, she led an organization of up to 175 nurses and associated health personnel. She maintained oversight responsibility for the implementation of the primary nursing model of care on each unit and collaborated with Mental Health leadership to implement the Behavioral Health Integrated Program (BHIP) teams at the facility. She was integral to the restructuring of the Urgent Care Clinic to improve the customer and staff experience. Ms. Williams holds a BSN from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and received her MSN from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Ms. Williams is a graduate of the VA Leadership Development Program in 2009 and the VA Healthcare Leadership Development Program in 2015.
