Deputy Assistant Secretary Susan Orsega Shares Leadership Lessons During USU Strategic Lecture Series
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy and Oversight returned to her alma mater to impart valuable insights from her extensive career.
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| Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy and Oversight Susan Orsega addresses a full auditorium of students, faculty, and staff at the Uniformed Services University (USU). Speaking as part of the President’s Strategic Leadership Lecture Series, Orsega, a USU alumna, discussed resilience and leadership in military medicine with the next generation of uniformed health professionals. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
June 10, 2025 by Sharon Holland
In a world marked by complexity, crisis, and change, Rear Adm. (ret.) Susan Orsega delivered a powerful message to students, faculty, staff and alumni during a recent installment of the Uniformed Services University (USU) President’s Strategic Leadership Lecture Series. Hosted by USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the series brings distinguished leaders from across the military, federal, and health sectors to engage with the USU community and share lessons learned from their careers in service to the nation.
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Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy and Oversight Susan Orsega delivers a keynote address at the Uniformed Services University on May 12, 2025. During the President’s Strategic Leadership Lecture Series, Orsega shared insights from her career on the front lines of public health crises, including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
“Careers don’t go in a straight line—they zig and zag,” Orsega began. “And that’s where you learn the most.” From the front lines of 9/11 to coordinating national COVID-19 testing strategy, she has navigated some of the nation’s most high-stakes public health crises. Along the way, she’s built what she calls a “leadership backpack”—a set of core values and capabilities drawn from experience.
Just four months after graduating from USU in 2001, Orsega deployed to the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 attacks. “I was scared. I was filled with uncertainty,” she recalled. But she drew on her training and inner reserves of calm to treat responders facing physical and emotional trauma. “It wasn’t the stethoscope or the textbooks. It was the leadership skills I didn’t know I had that got me through.”
Throughout her talk, Orsega emphasized five essential leadership traits that have guided her journey:
- Team: “Surround yourself with people who challenge and inspire you,” she said. From leading research teams in South Africa to responding to Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, she learned the value of bringing together diverse, multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.
- Opportunity: “Be ready when the door opens—because sometimes you won’t see it coming.” In March 2020, Orsega was tasked with designing a national COVID-19 drive-through testing model—overnight. Just 48 hours later, she stood on a White House stage alongside the President and Vice President. “Those 48 hours changed my life.”
- Be Humble and Kind: “Leaders should never lead for fame,” she noted. Whether working in the Marshall Islands or partnering with foreign militaries, she stressed diplomacy over dominance. “You can pound the table—or you can build consensus. I choose the latter.”
- Integrity: “Always keep your integrity rudder straight,” Orsega urged. When a Washington Post story threatened to undermine confidence in the Public Health Service’s vaccination plan during COVID-19, she relied on facts, transparency, and steady leadership to set the record straight. “In tough moments, your integrity is what keeps you grounded.”
- Embrace Complexity: “Uncomfortable, complex situations aren’t designed to frustrate you—they’re designed to grow you,” she said. At Ground Zero, she learned to respond to chaos with clarity. “I always ended exams by asking patients how their mental health was. That simple question opened doors.”
Today’s military health professionals, she said, must be ready to respond to crises that know no borders—armed not just with clinical expertise, but also with cultural fluency, leadership resilience, and a global mindset.
“We are national and global assets,” Orsega reminded the audience. “When everyone else is running away from crisis, we run toward it.”
As she concluded, Orsega offered one final piece of advice to the future leaders in the room: “The only thing you truly own is your name tag. Make decisions that honor it. Pack your backpack now—because the call will come.”
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USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson presents a university medallion to Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Services Policy and Oversight Susan Orsega. The presentation followed Orsega's talk during the President’s Strategic Leadership Lecture Series, where the USU alumna shared leadership lessons with the university community on May 12, 2025. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
