MITRE Corp. has appointed Steven Ondra, MD, as vice president of the Center for Transforming Health and director of the CMS Alliance to Modernize Health Care (Health FFRDC).
MITRE operates the Health FFRDC (Federally Funded Research and Development Center) on behalf of sponsors across the Department of Health and Human Services, which, through its multidisciplinary teams, serves all federal agencies with a health and human services mission, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Administration for Children and Families.
Ondra joined MITRE in 2022, having previously served as chief medical advisor and acting managing director for the Health FFRDC. He has held numerous leadership roles across the healthcare ecosystem, including as a neurosurgeon, hospital and health plan executive, policy advisor, entrepreneur, and educator.
MITRE says it is working on a number of initiatives, including enabling the effective use of AI in healthcare, developing data-driven programs to enhance maternal, child and mental health, strengthening the cybersecurity of medical devices, and helping build resilience in the healthcare ecosystem.
“Steve’s career spans numerous executive and leadership positions across government and industry, and his experience as a clinician and policy expert brings a unique perspective to our government sponsors and our team,” Beth Meinert, senior vice president and general manager of MITRE’s public sector division, said in a statement. “He has a deep understanding of complex health and healthcare landscapes. He also brings the mindset of an innovator who has led groundbreaking developments in surgical care and developed multiple medical devices that improve patient care and outcomes.”
During his career, Ondra has served as Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), CEO of CygnusAI and Founder of NorthStar HealthCare Consulting, LLC. Ondra is a professor of neurosurgery, oversees the residency program and served as interim chair of neurosurgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
During the Obama Administration, Mr. Ondra served as Senior Health Policy Advisor for Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Co-Chair of the Executive Office of the President’s National Science and Technology Council on Health Information Technology, and a member of the Deputy Group on Implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
An Army veteran, Ondra was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Army Commendation Medal for his service during combat deployments in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield.
Ondra attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a medical degree from Rush University.
