Joseph R. Etherage PsyD, ABPP

I'm Joe Etherage. My work has three threads. As a clinician, I led behavioral-health departments and programs for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army and NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. As a builder, I designed and ran measurement systems: post-deployment screening that assessed 41,000 soldiers, and a suicide-event report that the Department of Defense adopted department-wide. As an overseer, I have directed healthcare inspection work that tests whether systems do what they claim, most recently on generative AI in clinical care.

In 2026 I founded JE Vectors LLC and built Inqura, an evidence-analysis platform for investigations and compliance review, along with ConKurrence, a harness for measuring whether AI judgments hold up. I am interested in AI oversight, healthcare and mental-health AI governance, and evaluation, as an employee or as a consultant.

Experience

Systems built

Publications

Peer-reviewed articles and book chapters

1. 2012Jones, M. D., Etherage, J. R., Harmon, S. C., & Okiishi, J. C. Acceptability and cost-effectiveness of military telehealth mental health screening. Psychological Services, 9(2), 132–143. doi:10.1037/a0026709
2. 2012Harmon, S. C., Hoyt, T. V., Jones, M. D., Etherage, J. R., & Okiishi, J. C. Postdeployment mental health screening: An application of the Soldier Adaptation Model. Military Medicine, 177(4), 366–373. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-11-00343
3. 2010Shearer, D. S., & Etherage, J. R. The practice of medical psychology in a military primary care medicine setting. Journal of the Academy of Medical Psychology, 1(1), 14–18.
4. 2008Reger, M. A., Etherage, J. R., Reger, G. M., & Gahm, G. A. Civilian psychologists in an Army culture: The ethical challenge of cultural competence. Military Psychology, 20(1), 21–35. doi:10.1080/08995600701753144
5. 2005Etherage, J. Pediatric behavioral health consultation: A new model for primary care. In L. James & R. Folen (Eds.), The Primary Care Consultant: The Next Frontier for Psychologists in Hospitals and Clinics. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10962-009
6. 2003Dobmeyer, A. C., Rowan, A. B., Etherage, J. R., & Wilson, R. J. Training psychology interns in primary behavioral health care. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34(6), 586–594. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.34.6.586
7. 2000Scharff, L., & Etherage, J. The role of minimal and no-contact behavioral treatments in migraine: A review of efficacy and cost effectiveness. Disease Management and Health Outcomes, 8(6), 313–325. doi:10.2165/00115677-200008060-00002

Oversight reports

Reports of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Office of Healthcare Inspections. These are institutional publications; I contributed to each as a director in that office.

1. June 11, 2026Review of Generative Artificial Intelligence Chat Tools for Clinical Use (Report 26-00182-140)
2. January 15, 2026Review of VHA's Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Report 26-00182-42)
3. October 31, 2023Improvements Needed in Lung Cancer Screening Through Use of Community Care
4. August 16, 2023Concern with Veterans Health Administration's Lung Cancer Screening Program Requirements
5. July 14, 2022The New Electronic Health Record's Unknown Queue Caused Multiple Events of Patient Harm
6. July 7, 2022OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages, Fiscal Year 2022
7. June 1, 2022Deficits with Metrics Following Implementation of the New Electronic Health Record at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington
8. May 3, 2022Facility Leaders' Response to Inappropriate Mental Health Provider-Patient Relationships at the VA Illiana Health Care System in Danville, Illinois
9. March 17, 2022Medication Management Deficiencies after the New Electronic Health Record Go-Live at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington
10. March 17, 2022Ticket Process Concerns and Underlying Factors Contributing to Deficiencies after the New Electronic Health Record Go-Live at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington
11. March 17, 2022Care Coordination Deficiencies after the New Electronic Health Record Go-Live at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington
12. August 24, 2021Deficiencies in Coordination of Care for Patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression at the VA San Diego Healthcare System in California
13. July 8, 2021Training Deficiencies with VA's New Electronic Health Record System at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington
14. August 27, 2020Alleged Deficiencies in the Management of Staff Exposure to a Patient with COVID-19 at the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon
15. April 27, 2020Inadequate Care by a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and a Primary Care Provider at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in Nashville

Instruments

1. 2010Etherage, J., Harmon, S. C., Jones, M. D., & Slade, K. D-RAT: The Down-Range Assessment Tool (assessment instrument and manual). Unpublished instrument.

Professional articles

1. 2002Etherage, J. Pediatric primary care psychology. The Air Force Psychologist, 20(3), 6–7.
2. 2000Etherage, J. Camelot revisited: The pediatric psychology fellowship. The Air Force Psychologist, 18(4), 7–8.

Presentations and posters

1. 2011Okiishi, J. C., Etherage, J. R., Harmon, S. C., & Jones, M. D. Soldiers at risk: Early identification of soldiers at need through multimodal assessment. Poster, Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
2. 2010Harmon, S. C., Slade, K., Jones, M. D., & Etherage, J. Soldier Evaluation for Life Fitness (SELF): A response to the mental health needs of post-deployment soldiers. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Monterey, CA.
3. 2008Brown, M., & Etherage, J. Building a new AHLTA behavioral health module: Utilizing the Automated Behavioral Health Clinic as a model. 11th Annual Force Health Protection Conference, Albuquerque, NM.
4. 1996Etherage, J., Deatherage, R., Cornelius, K., & Moiso, K. The development of a nonlingual format for measuring emotional expression. Poster, Annual Meeting of the Hawaii Psychological Association, Honolulu, HI.
5. 1991Pitts, M., Barnett, O., & Etherage, J. The inadequacy of social support for battered women. Poster, Annual Meeting of the Western Psychological Association, CA.

Education and credentials

• PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology · 1997
• MS, Clinical Psychopharmacology, Fairleigh Dickinson University · 2016
• MA, Psychology, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology · 1993
• BA, Psychology, Seaver College, Pepperdine University · 1991
• Fellowship in Pediatric Behavioral Medicine, Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts General Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston) · 1999 – 2000
• Internship in Clinical Psychology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, TX · 1996 – 1997

Certification and licensure

• Board Certified in Clinical Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology · 2004 – present
• Licensed Psychologist, Florida (PY12078)
• Professional Scrum Master, Scrum.org · 2021

Recent professional development

• AI in Health Care: From Strategies to Implementation, Harvard Medical School, eight-week online executive education program · Feb – Apr 2026 · verify certificate
• IAPP Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) · in preparation

Service and awards

Awards and recognition

• Inspector General's Exceptional Teamwork Award, VA Office of Inspector General · 2020, 2026
• Inspector General's Distinguished Achievement Award, VA Office of Inspector General · 2022
• New Employee of the Year, Office of Healthcare Inspections · 2020
• Commander's Award for Civilian Service · 2016
• Commander's Coin for service following the Brussels bombings, SHAPE Healthcare Facility · 2016
• Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service · 2008, 2018
• Quality Step Increase for annual performance · 2006
• U.S. Air Force Senior Psychologist of the Year; Air Mobility Command Senior Psychologist of the Year · 2004
• Letters and certificates of appreciation from Major General Horoho (2009), Brigadier General Baxter (2007), Lieutenant General Dubik (2006), Brigadier General Germann (2004) and Major General Timboe, for Operation Solace (2002)