Acting Under Secretary for Health
Dr. Gerald Cross was appointed Acting Under Secretary for Health for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on May 10, 2009. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Cross served as the Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health (PDUSH) since July 8, 2007. As Acting Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Cross oversees the health care needs of millions of veterans enrolled in VHA, the Nation’s largest integrated health care system. With a medical care appropriation of more than $47 billion, VHA employs more than 239,000 staff at over 1,400 sites, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, domiciliaries, and Readjustment Counseling Centers. In addition, VHA is the Nation's largest provider of graduate medical education and a major contributor to medical research. During his VA career, Dr. Cross has led numerous initiatives to help Veterans. He has been essential in expanding primary care services, mental health services, tele-health, tele-radiology, Vet Center Services, and educational opportunities for health care students. Due to his efforts, a MoU was signed between the VA and the Department of Defense to accelerate access to VA benefits for separating active duty service- members. His other initiatives include the hiring of thousands of additional mental health providers, the development of a model of care to reduce the stigma of mental illnesses, improvements in primary care for women veterans, enhancements in dental services, and screenings and treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In addition to enhancing quality and standards nationwide, Dr. Cross also oversaw initiatives such as VA’s highly successful Suicide Prevention Hotline, improvements in rural healthcare access and the new Veteran-Centered, Veteran-Driven model for VA healthcare. Dr. Cross joined VHA as the National Director of Primary Care in 2004. In 2005, he was promoted to Deputy Chief Patient Care Services Officer. As the PDUSH, he testified frequently in Congress and was interviewed numerous times by the media, speaking about the VA in many public venues. Dr. Cross, a native of Norfolk, Va., earned his medical degree from California’s Loma Linda University in 1977. In 1978, he entered the U.S. Army and completed his residency in Family Medicine at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in 1982. After his residency, Dr. Cross completed a fellowship in Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1985. He is board certified in Family Medicine and maintains clinical privileges at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center. During his Army career, Dr. Cross served in many leadership positions including: teaching chief, Department Chair, Chief of the Medical Staff, Consultant to The Army Surgeon General, and faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He commanded four Army medical facilities - ranging from a small overseas clinic to the hospital at Fort Hood, Texas - one of the largest Army posts in the nation. He also served as Deputy Commander for Army Medicine in Europe and the Command Surgeon for U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). As the FORSCOM Surgeon, he supported the training and deployment of medical forces for Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dr. Cross is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with four oak leaf clusters, the Air Assault Badge, the “A” Proficiency Designator, and the Order of Military Medical Merit. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. May 2009
|
