Prior to joining OVAHCS, Dr. Szafranski served as the Acting Assistant Director at the Ralph H. Johnson (RHJ) VAHCS. As Acting Assistant Director, he was responsible for the Chaplin Office, Community Care, Community Engagement and Veteran Experience, Environmental Management Services, Fisher House, Nutrition and Food, Information System Security Officer, Law Enforcement, Logistics, Office of Information and Technology, Privacy Office, Prosthetics and Veterans Canteen Services. Dr. Szafranski first joined RHJ VAHCS as a staff psychologist in the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy clinic in 2014. In 2017, he transitioned to the Section Chief of General Mental Health. After serving two years as a Section Chief, Dr. Szafranski became the Division Chief of Outpatient Mental Health Services.  

In 2007, Dr. Szafranski graduated magna cum laude from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, while on a full-ride football scholarship. He obtained a Master of Science in psychology from University of the Pacific in 2010 and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Houston in 2014. Dr. Szafranski completed his clinical internship at the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in 2014 at the Boston Consortium and remains heavily involved in PTSD clinical trial research. To further his management training, Dr. Szafranski earned a Master of Business Administration with a healthcare emphasis in 2020 and graduated from the Health Care Leadership Development Program in 2021. He is also a member of the American College of Health Care Executives.