Commander Christine A. DeForest
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Christine DeForest graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and earned a Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine through the military Health Professional Scholarship Program in 2009. Dr. DeForest’s professional training includes surgical internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA, in 2009 and emergency medicine residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA, in 2017. She obtained a certificate in Healthcare Modeling and Simulation from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2023. She has obtained Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and is currently pursuing courses at the University of Pennsylvania to obtain a Master of Healthcare Quality and Safety.
She has served as an Emergency Medicine physician at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, NC and Naval Medical Center San Diego, CA. At Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune she served as the Department Head of the Emergency Medicine Department and Transfer Center from 2020-2021. In 2021, CDR DeForest transferred to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Center San Diego where she has served as an Assistant Program Director and Simulation Director to the Emergency Medicine Residency. She additionally served as the Associate Director for Medical Services for the Expeditionary Medical Facility 150 Bravo and as the Chair of the Medical Executive Committee for Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego. She moved to Philadelphia, PA in 2024 to join a small team of active duty military members performing clinical work in trauma care at the Presbyterian Medical Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Operationally, she has deployed as a Flight Surgeon in 2011 to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn and in 2013 to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. As an emergency medicine physician, she deployed in 2018 with the Forward Resuscitative Surgery System and Shock Trauma Platoon in support of the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response Africa. In 2020 and 2021 she conducted two small medical team deployments in support of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency during the COVID pandemic.
She has an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded Master Clinician Faculty Designation in August 2022 and is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Her personal military awards include one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medals.