Stephen Ondra has been named MITRE’s vice president of the Center for Transforming Health and director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Alliance to Modernize Health Care.
He joined MITRE in 2022, previously serving as chief medical adviser and acting managing director of the Health FFRDC. Ondra has held various leadership roles in healthcare as a neurosurgeon, hospital and insurance executive, policy adviser, entrepreneur and educator.
“MITRE’s work in health has had a tremendous impact, as we work with others to improve the health of the nation today, while preparing to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” Ondra said. “I am honored to lead the MITRE team and collaborate with government, industry, and academic leaders, solving the problems we face in improving the health and well-being of our nation, and building tools that can help create a health system that is not only higher quality but also more accessible, equitable, and resilient, with economic sustainability for everyone.”
Before joining MITRE, Ondra was the chief medical officer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Health Care Service Corp. He also served as CEO of CygnusAI and founded NorthStar HealthCare Consulting, LLC. Additionally, he was a professor of neurosurgery, directed the residency program and served as interim chair of neurological surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
During the Obama administration, Ondra was senior health policy adviser for health affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, served in the Executive Office of the President as 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.
Ondra is an Army veteran and was awarded a bronze star and the Army Commendation Medal for his service during combat deployments in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.
“Steve’s career spans numerous executive and leadership roles in government and industry, and his experience as a clinician and policy expert brings a unique vantage point to our government sponsors and our team,” said Beth Meinert, senior vice president and general manager of MITRE Public Sector. “He has a deep understanding of the complex health and healthcare landscape. He also brings an innovator’s mindset, having led breakthrough developments in surgical care and developed multiple medical devices that improved patient care and outcomes.”