Susan Orsega Rear Admiral, USPHS, MS, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN
Rear Admiral Susan Orsega is a FNP-BC and US Public Health Service Officer assigned to National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She is currently serving as the USPHS Chief Nurse Officer. in that capacity, RADM Orsega leads the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) Nurse Professional Affairs, and advises the Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps nurse professionals.
Additionally, she is responsible for the operational management of international research partnerships with South African and Malian Governments, involving 150 international nurses and researchers, and 7,000 research participants. In 2015, RADM Orsega played a fundamental role in the United States Government (USG) NIH Ebola response and was instrumental in the implementation of first human vaccine trial in Liberia and the operational management of first Ebola Z-Mapp trial in Sierra Leone.
RADM Orsega’s expertise in disaster care as evident by her selection to a United States Public Health Service (USPHS) medical team deployed after 9-11 as well as 13 other national and international disaster/humanitarian USG missions serving in roles with progressive nursing and leadership responsibilities. Her leadership strength is in bringing multidisciplinary members from different governments, organizations, cultures and languages together towards a common mission, connecting talents with initiatives. One of her primary goals in every assignment is to disseminate knowledge to improve nursing practice and health systems globally.
RADM Susan Orsega received her Bachelors of Science Nursing degree from Towson University. In 2001, she obtained her Master’s degree of Science from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Nurse Practitioner program. In 2013, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.