USU Alumnus Dr. Stephen L. Ferrara Named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

Dr. Ferrara will serve as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs until a nomination is confirmed for the position.

Dr. Stephen L. Ferrara, a retired U.S. Navy captain and decorated physician, was appointed 

as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. (Photo courtesy 

of Dr. Stephen Ferrara)

January 22, 2025 by Sharon Holland

Dr. Stephen L. Ferrara, a retired U.S. Navy captain and decorated physician, was appointed as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, effective Jan. 20, 2025, succeeding Ms. Seileen Mullen in the position. Ferrara also took on the role of acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs while waiting for the nominee, Dr. Keith Bass, to be confirmed.

Ferrara, who earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Uniformed Services University (USU) in 1995, brings an exceptional combination of military, medical, and leadership experience to this prestigious role. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to excellence, innovation, and service to the nation.

Dr. Stephen Ferrara

(Courtesy photo)

Ferrara completed his undergraduate studies with honors in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCLA in 1991. Following graduation from medical school at USU in 1995, he pursued a surgical internship and diagnostic radiology residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego. He further specialized with fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology at the University of California, San Diego, and Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard Medical School). Ferrara is double board-certified in diagnostic radiology and vascular /interventional radiology and holds fellowship designations from both the Society of Interventional Radiology and the American College of Radiology.

During his distinguished Navy career, Ferrara served in multiple capacities, including as Chief Medical Officer of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, where he was responsible for overseeing access, quality, and safety across Navy Medicine. He deployed globally, serving in combat zones and providing critical medical care in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. In Afghanistan, as a Battalion Surgeon in Kandahar, he introduced life- and limb-saving endovascular surgical techniques to the battlefield, revolutionizing combat casualty care.

After retiring from the Navy in 2016 at the rank of Captain, Ferrara continued his leadership in the national security and healthcare arenas. He served as Chief Medical Officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he provided senior medical oversight from 2022 to 2024. In the academic and medical communities, he remains an influential voice, delivering more than 100 lectures and publishing extensively on interventional radiology, health policy, and humanitarian efforts.

Ferrara’s leadership extends beyond medicine, having served as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/National Academy of Medicine Congressional Fellow. In this role, he contributed to major healthcare legislation, including the development of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, and provided oversight of key federal health agencies.

“Dr. Ferrara’s appointment is a testament to his exceptional dedication, leadership, and commitment to advancing military medicine,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, president of USU. “As a proud USU alumnus, his career embodies the values of service and excellence that define our institution. I have no doubt that his expertise and vision will greatly benefit the Military Health System and the service members, families, and retirees it supports.”