President's New Freedom
Commission on Mental Health

Frances M. Murphy M.D., M.P.H.

Biography

Frances M. Murphy, M.D., M.P.H., is the Deputy Under Secretary for Health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. As Deputy Under Secretary, she serves as the second highest official in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and is the first woman to fill this position. She is the chief officer for VHA and is responsible for oversight and operation of the nation's largest integrated health care system.

Dr. Murphy also served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health from August 1999 to October 2000. Previously, she had served as the Department of Veterans Affairs' chief consultant for occupational and environmental medicine. Her career includes nearly 20 years as a physician, educator, and health care administrator.

Dr. Murphy holds an M.D. degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and a Masters in Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). She is board certified in neurology, an adjunct associate professor of neurology at the USUHS, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.