Meet Your AMSUS Staff

Military Medicine, Summer 2005

Tonya Lira

Journal Coordinator

Tonya came on staff at AMSUS in May 2005 as our new Journal Coordinator. She is responsible for the management of manuscripts submitted for publication, as well as coordinating among contributors, reviewers, editors, printers and the publisher. She also manages the supplement publication, maintains the archives, and prepares some of the advertising appearing in the journal. Prior to coming on staff at AMSUS, Tonya served as a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force, in supply. In addition to her Air Force career, Tonya has held numerous management positions.

Lindsey Bloom

Convention Assistant

Lindsey came on staff at AMSUS in April 2005 as our new Convention Assistant. She graduated in 2004 from University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Political Science and History. There, she planned 3 major events for the Panhellenic Association for over 1,000 students and over 10 smaller events for Alpha Phi International Fraternity. Upon graduation, Lindsey worked with JTDunn Enterprises where she first gained experience and interest in meeting planning.

Perlin Sworn in as VA Undersecretary for Health

Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin officially became the Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on May 5, 2005. He was sworn in by Deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield. As Undersecretary, Perlin will serve as the chief executive officer of the nation's largest integrated health care system, which treats more than 5 million people annually with a budget of nearly $30 billion. VA's health care system includes 196,500 health care professionals, 125,000 volunteers, 80,000 health profession trainees and 25,000 affiliated medical faculty.

"Dr. Perlin is a man of great skill and boundless compassion," said secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson. "America's veterans are lucky to have him lead VA's health care system."

A native of Maryland, Perlin earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Va. He later served on the staff at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals at VCU and continues to hold an adjunct faculty appointment there. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Perlin has held several appointments at Richmond VA Medical Center, and moved to the Department's Washington headquarters in 1999, serving as chief quality and performance officer, deputy under secretary for health, acting chief of research and development, and acting under secretary for health before his confirmation by the Senate on April 28, 2005 for the top job.

Dr. Perlin was the recipient of the 2003 AMSUS Richard A. Kern Lecture Award and is a member of the AMSUS Executive Advisory Committee and Executive Advisory Council. He is the AMSUS President-elect and will assume the AMSUS presidency at the conclusion of the 1 1 1th Annual Meeting in Nashville.