LORETTA L. CHRISTENSEN

Dr. Loretta Christensen, MBA, MSJ, FACS, an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe, is the chief medical officer at the Indian Health Service (IHS). She is a leading authority on medical and public health matters within the IHS, providing invaluable technical consultation and guidance to the Office of the Director and IHS staff nationwide. Her focus is on American Indian and Alaska Native healthcare policies and concerns. With her extensive expertise, she leads the agency's clinical and community-based health programs, ensuring their effectiveness on a national scale. Additionally, Dr. Christensen acts as the primary liaison and advocate for IHS health professionals, demonstrating her commitment to improving healthcare outcomes for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

• Young Physician of the Year, Jersey Shore Medical Center Medical Staff, 1994
• Outstanding Employee, Navajo Area Directors Award, 2015
• IHS Directors Award, 2020
• Leaders of the Year in Public Policy, Arizona Capital Times, 2021
• Boots Cooper, MD, Service Award, Drexel College of Medicine, 2022

• Fellow of American College of Surgeons
• Society of Critical Care Medicine
• American College of Healthcare Executives
• American Society of Healthcare Risk Management

• General Surgery Residency, Monmouth Medical Center, 84-88
• Chief Resident, General Surgery, Monmouth Medical Center, 88-89
• Clinical Fellowship in Trauma and Critical Care, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, New Jersey, 07/89-06/90
• Clinical Research Fellowship, National Institute of Brain Injury Research, Camden, New Jersey, 07/89-06/90

• New Jersey, #47233, 11/22/85
• New Jersey, Acupuncture #0097
• New Mexico, MD2013-0698

General Surgery, #38597, 11/01/93, #38597, 10/18/02, #38597, 12/01/13 #38597, 12/31/2024

• Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Chairman, Medical Staff Quality Improvement/Outcomes, past
• Chairman, Quality Improvement Trauma Committee, past
• Chairman, Credentials Committee, 2000-2002
• Medical Director, Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support Course
• Instructor, Paramedic Training, Ocean County College
• Instructor, EMT Training, Jersey Shore Medical Center
• Board Member, Sailhabilitation Program, past

• Bioethics Committee, past
• Chair Credentials Committee, past
• Critical Care Committee
• Health Information Management Committee, past
• JCAHO Steering Committee, 2001-2007
• Jersey Shore Medical Executive Committee, 1999-2002
• Medical Staff Quality Improvement/Outcomes Committee, 2001-2007
• Pediatric Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee, past
• Professional Care Council, 2006-2007
• Surgical Intensive Care Unit Committee
• Trauma Committee, 1990-2007
• Trauma Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee

• Acute Otitis Media in the Adult Trauma Patient, Ross, S., Christensen, L., Schaeffer, S., Journal of Trauma, 1991, 1543-1545
• The Effectiveness of the Mechanisms of Injury in the Triage of Patients to Trauma Centers, 34th Proceedings Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, Scottsdale, Arizona, 1990, 457-461, Christensen, L., O’Malley, K., Ross, S.
• Nurturing innovation at the roots: the success of COVID-19 vaccination in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, Haroz EE, Kemp CG, O’Keefe VM, et al., Am J Public Health, 2022, 112, 3, 383–387
• Social Determinants of Health and Response to Disease Associated With Health Outcomes of American Indian and Alaska Native Patients, Christensen L, Damon S., JAMA Network Open, 2022, 5, 3, e224827, 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.4827
• Neurological Care within the Indian Health Service, Panko, K, Stitzer, M, Trimble, B, Christensen, L, Seminars in Neurology 2024;44:205-216
• Haemophilus Influenza Type b Vaccine Immunogencity in American Indian/Alaska Native Infants, Jackson, BD, Miernyk K, Steinberg J, et al., Pediatrics 2024; 154(4)
• Why the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Has Failed to Effectively Fund Workforce Development for the Indian Health Service, Sundberg M, Christensen L, Kelliher A, Tobey, M, Toedt, M, Owens M, JHealth Care Poor Underserved 2024;35(1)
• Racial and Ethnic Variances in Preparedness for Aging in Place Among US Adults Ages 50-80, Robinson-Lane S, Johnson F, Tuyiesenge M

      et al. Geriatric Nursing 2023; 54: 357-364

• Advanced Trauma Life Support Instructor, American College of Surgeons
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider, American Heart Association
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor, American Heart Association
• Advanced Trauma Life Support Provider, American College of Surgeons
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support Provider, American Heart Association
• Fac-Cor Level II certified
• Just Culture certified trainer
• Master trainer TeamSTEPPS

• Trauma Seminar, Organizer and Lecturer, Monmouth Medical Center, 1987
• Trauma Lectures for Surgical Nurse Certification, Monmouth Medical Center, 1988
• Inservice Lectures on Trauma for EMS Personnel, Monmouth Medical Center, 1988-89
• Hyperalimentation Course, Lecture on Enteral Feedings, Monmouth Medical Center
• General Surgery Lectures, School of Podiatric Medicine, Cooper University, Philadelphia, PA
• Community Lectures for First Aid, Cooper University, 1990-1991
• Otitis Media in the Adult Trauma Patient, Paper Presented, American Association for Surgery of Trauma Meeting, 1990, Tucson, Arizona
• The Effectiveness of the Mechanisms of Injury in the Triage of Patients to Trauma Centers, Invited Discussant, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine 34th Annual Proceedings, 1990, Phoenix, Arizona
• Barbituate Coma in the Head Injured Patient, Presented, Trauma Grand Rounds, Cooper University, 03/01/90, Camden, New Jersey
• Priorities in Trauma Resuscitation, Presented, Shock/Trauma Symposium, Monmouth Medical Center, 06/01/91
• Trauma in Pregnancy, Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey, 11/25/91
• Management of Life Threatening Pelvic Injuries, Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, New Jersey, 11/14/92
• Caring for the Trauma Patient: Assessing Oxygen Supply and Demand, Presented, Critical Nursing Conference, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 12/01/92
• Emergency Treatment, Presented, Cold Water Rescue Symposium, Ocean Township, New Jersey, 01/01/93
• Perspective in Trauma Head Injuries, Presented, Jersey Shoreline Chapter of Critical Care Nurses, Jersey Shore Medical Center, 11/18/94
• Head and Neck Trauma, Presented, New Jersey Radiology Technologist Meeting, Jersey Shore Medical Center, 01/26/95
• Integrative Medicine, Science of Connectedness, New Jersey Hospital Association, 08/08/01
• Integrative Medicine: Treatment of Neuropathy, National Association of Neuropathy Seminar, Denver, Colorado, 11/08/03
• ECHO presentations on COVID response and vaccination strategy, 2020-2021, Indian Health Service
• E-Health roundtable on COVID response, Indian Health Service
• Covid response in Indian Country, Baltimore Medical Society
• Covid response in Navajo Area, University of Arizona Medical School Grand Rounds
• Covid Response in Navajo Area, Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Health Equity, New Mexico Department of Health roundtable
• Covid response in Navajo, New Mexico Law Forum
• Federal Actions to Manage Infodemics and Suppport Effecitve Health Comms, NASEM 9/11/23
• AHA Region 9 Health Equity Summit: Fireside Chat Panel 7/1523
• Family Caregiving for People with Cancer and Other Serious Illness Workshop Panel : NASEM 5/16/22
• Learning Rapidly to Improve Cancer Care Delivery and Advance Health Equity Beyond the COVID 19 Pandemic Panel: NASEM 7/27/21
• Shaping Access to Reproductive Health Care: Finance and Delivery System Panel: NASEM 6/12/24
• Exposing Disparities: COVID-19's Lasting Impacts PBS Television hosted by John King 4/29/23