Prior to that she served for two years as Interim Chief Medical Officer of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN 3 and VISN 2). Dr. Malina has held several key leadership positions in her twenty nine years at the Department of Veterans Affairs including: Chief of Staff, VA Hudson Valley Health Care System; Medical Director for Clinical Programs (Chief of Staff), Central Texas Veterans Health Care System; and Chief Medical Officer, Austin Satellite Outpatient Clinic.

Dr. Malina has held a number of academic appointments and is currently Co-Director of the Rural Health Training Initiative at the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Bronx VA Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine, New York Medical College.  She has served as the VISN 3 Geriatric and Extended Care Lead since 2005.

Dr. Malina is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She received a B.S. in Engineering Science with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin; an M.D. from Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas; and a Specialty Certificate in Public Administration and Health Policy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute.