White House eyes Army Reservist, surgeon for Defense top doc job

The White House is considering naming Dr. Jonathan Woodson, a vascular surgeon and an associate dean at Boston University, to be the next assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Nextgov has learned.

Woodson, who also is a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, will fill a slot left vacant for nearly 10 months since Dr. S. Ward Casscells resigned in April 2009.

Woodson, a graduate of the City College of New York and the New York University School of Medicine, was appointed in March 2009 to be assistant surgeon general for mobilization, readiness and reserve affairs, deputy commanding general for the Army Reserve Medical Command. His assignments include a tour in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1990-1991.

Woodson did not respond to requests for comment.

The Military Health System, which Woodson would lead if nominated and confirmed, has an enviable rate of success in its primary combat medical mission but has lacked solid leadership for years in other core missions, such as providing stateside care to 9.5 million active and retired military personnel and their families, and development of a full-scale medical record, sources who declined to be identified told Nextgov.

Maj. Gen. Robert Kasulke, commanding general of the Army Reserve Medical Command, said Woodson would bring "a great deal of experience in military medicine" to the job. Besides being a "great down-to-earth clinician," Woodson has the administrative skills needed to run the Defense health system because he now balances his clinical roles with administrative jobs at Boston University and in the Reserves, Kasulke added.

"I'd rate him a 10 out of 10 as an administrator," he said.

Casscells said he did not know Woodson but said, "He sounds well-prepared for the job. He is a clinician, educator, innovative administrator and served in [Operation] Desert Storm."

He added that he is pleased the White House might have identified his replacement because the Military Health System faces a range of challenges, including addressing growing health care costs, extending treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, dealing with increasing suicide rates and developing electronic health records, all of which require strong leadership to resolve.

Casscells, also an Army reservist, said he is heartened that an Army reservist will run the Military Health System because "the Reserve has been under more stress than most of us signed up for and . . . almost everyone in Health Affairs has a Navy or Air Force background."

Based on his experience, Casscells said he could guarantee Woodson two things: "He will not be bored, and he will have the job of a lifetime."