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Dr. Stephen Ondra is the Vice President of the Center for Transforming Health at MITRE for its work as operator of the CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare federally funded research and development center (Health FFRDC). Sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Health FFRDC is available to all operating and staff divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As the Health FFRDC Vice President, Dr, Ondra is the Director of the Health FFRDC and serves as an objective adviser to all HHS organizations, providing thought leadership, guiding project teams, and building partnerships with the private sector to promote the health and well-being of our nation.
Prior to joining MITRE, Dr. Ondra’s career has spanned virtually the entire healthcare spectrum. Prior to being selected as Vice President at MITRE, he served at the CTH and Health FFRDC Chief Medical Advisor. Prior to joining MITRE in 2022, Dr. Ondra was the founder of North Star Healthcare Consulting LLC, he advised large corporations, government and an array of mid-size and small companies that span the healthcare space, and served as CEO of Cygnsu-AI, a medical imaging artificial intelligence company.
Prior to forming North Star, Dr. Ondra was the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) which operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in five states. At HCSC, Dr. Ondra managed a division of over 2000 employees and was responsible for the strategy and oversight of medical management, healthcare quality and value improvement, pharmacy, healthcare policy and strategic communications. Before his time at HCSC, Dr. Ondra served as Chief Medical Officer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he had operational responsibilities in care clinical care management, quality, and strategy.
In 2009, Dr. Ondra was appointed by President Obama as the Senior Policy Advisor for Health Affairs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He also served at the White House in the Executive Office of the President. At the White House, Dr. Ondra was the co-Chair of the National Science and Technology Council for Health Information Technology and was a member of the Implementation Deputy Group for the Affordable Care Act.
As a clinician, Dr. Ondra had a distinguished career as a surgeon researcher and educator. He was a Professor of Neurosurgery and Residency Program Director at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and served as the interim chair of Neurological Surgery. As a researcher, he led breakthrough developments in surgical care and developed multiple medical devices that improved patient care and outcomes. Dr. Ondra has also served on the Boards of both private and publicly traded companies, as well as not-for-profit organizations and health advisory committees. An Army veteran Dr. Ondra was awarded the Bronze Star during his service in combat operations in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
The thread that runs throughout this multi-faceted career is a lifelong commitment to improving healthcare outcomes, quality, and value, as well as the care experience of the patient and their families.
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose
The Overview of Spine Surgery from a Government and Payer Perspective
Saturday, February 22, 2025
5:07 PM – 5:24 PM EST