Dr. Jonathan Woodson nominated by President Barack Obama to be assistant secretary of defense for health affairs

Jonathan Woodson has been named assistant secretary of defense for health affairs for the U.S. Department of Defense by President Obama. His nomination requires U.S. Senate confirmation.

Associate dean for diversity and multicultural affairs and associate professor of surgery at BUSM, and senior attending vascular surgeon at BMC, Woodson holds the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is currently assigned as assistant surgeon general for reserve affairs, force structure and mobilization in the Office of the Surgeon General and serves as deputy commander of the Army Reserve Medical Command.

As assistant secretary of defense for health affairs he would be the principal adviser to the secretary of defense on health issues and oversee the entire U.S. military medical enterprise, known as the Military Health System. This includes the services’ care of war wounded and basic health care for 9.6 million active and retired service members and family members through the Tricare medical and dental care program.

He would also be responsible for setting medical health standards for enlistments and deployments, develop health and medical program policies, and oversee Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences (USUHS), the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, and other organizations.

In a joint statement announcing the nomination, Karen Antman, provost of BU Medical Campus and Kate Walsh, president and CEO of BMC, wrote, “Dr. Woodson is an excellent choice for this important role. His clinical and administrative experience and outstanding leadership will be of great value to our nation’s soldiers and veterans as he takes on this Department of Defense role. His military experience makes him the perfect candidate for this position and he is well prepared to handle the challenges of this new position.”

Woodson is a graduate of the City College of New York (Magna Cum Laude) and New York University School of Medicine (1979) six-year B.S.-M.D. program. He received his postgraduate medical education at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and completed residency training in internal medicine, general and vascular surgery. He is board certified in internal medicine, general surgery, vascular surgery and critical care (surgery). He holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies (concentration in strategic leadership) from the U.S. Army War College.

In 1992, he was awarded a research fellowship at the Association of American Medical Colleges Health Services Research Institute. His current research interest is in health outcomes research; particularly functional outcomes in limb salvage vascular surgery. He has authored/coauthored a number of publications and book chapters on vascular trauma and outcomes in vascular limb salvage surgery.

His prior military assignments include deployments to Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Storm), Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has also served as a Senior Medical Officer with the National Disaster Management System, where he responded to the September 11th attack in New York City. Woodson’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster).

In 2007, he was named one of the top Vascular Surgeons in Boston and in 2008 was listed as one of the Top Surgeons in the U.S. He is the recipient of the 2009 Gold Humanism in Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.