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Frances M. Murphy, M.D., M.P.H., was appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Health Policy Coordination for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the Department of Veterans Affairs on Oct. 6, 2002.
VHA provides health care to more than 5.1 million veterans and 7.6 million enrollees throughout the United States. With a medical care budget of approximately $30 billion, VHA directly employs more than 196,500 health care professionals at more than 1,300 sites of care, including hospitals, community and facility-based clinics, nursing homes, domiciliaries, readjustment counseling centers, and various other facilities. In addition to its medical care mission, VHA is the nation's largest provider of graduate medical education and a major contributor to medical and scientific research. More than 125,000 volunteers, 80,000 health profession trainees, and 25,000 affiliated medical faculty are also an integral part of the VHA community.
As Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Health Policy Coordination, Dr. Murphy leads VHA health policy and interagency program development. She serves as the principle liaison between VA and the Department of Health and Human Services for issues related to public health, occupational health and safety, health care quality and patient safety, and coordination of federal health care benefits.
Dr. Murphy served as VA’s Acting Under Secretary for Health from February 2002 to April 2002, and Deputy Under Secretary for Health from August 1999 to October 2002. As Deputy Under Secretary, Dr Murphy functioned as the chief operating officer for VHA and was responsible for VHA healthcare policy and operations. She is the first woman to perform as either the Under Secretary or the Deputy Under Secretary in the VHA.
Prior to August 1999, Dr. Murphy served as the Department of Veterans Affairs’ chief consultant for occupational and environmental medicine. Her distinguished career also includes 20 years as a physician, educator, researcher, and health care executive. Dr. Murphy has published numerous scientific papers.
In 1979, Dr. Murphy was awarded an M.D. degree with honors from Georgetown University School of Medicine. In 1993, she received a master’s in public health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). Dr. Murphy completed residency training at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and is board certified in neurology. She is an adjunct associate professor of neurology at USUHS. She is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served as a staff neurologist at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., from 1983 to 1987. Dr Murphy is an internationally recognized leader in development of health policy related to veteran/military occupational health.
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