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Gerard R. Cox, MD, MHA was appointed Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Quality and Patient Safety, effective October 14, 2018. Since joining VA in 2014, Dr. Cox served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Policy and Services, Interim Medical Inspector, and Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Integrity. He was the Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Health for the Office for Organizational Excellence from October 2017 to October 2018.

During his previous military career of more than 30 years as a U.S. Navy medical officer, he served in a series of hospital leadership roles with increasingly complex responsibilities, including service chief, service line leader, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer.  He held executive positions on the staffs of the Navy Surgeon General, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Commander of U.S. Navy forces in the Middle East, and the Naval Inspector General. He also served as a White House physician for Presidents William J. Clinton and George W. Bush.

Following his undergraduate and medical education, Dr. Cox completed a medical internship at the National Naval Medical Center and the combined residency program in emergency medicine at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and the University of Maryland. He is board-certified in emergency medicine, occupational medicine, and health care administration and is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.  His military awards include the Legion of Merit Medal (3 awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (5 awards) and the Presidential Service Badge.