September 30, 2024
The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) welcomes Navy Vice Admiral (Retired) Raquel “Rocky” Cruz Bono, M.D., FACS, as Chair of its Council of Directors. Dr. Bono, a decorated military leader, served as the first female medical officer to achieve the rank of three-star admiral and second director of the Defense Health Agency, where she managed 55 military treatment facilities, 300 associated clinics, and healthcare for 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide.
“We are honored to have Dr. Bono lead our Council of Directors as Chair,” said HJF President and CEO Joseph Caravalho, Jr., M.D. “Her outstanding experience and specific understanding of military medicine, as well as her perspective as a senior Naval officer, are valuable and important additions, as HJF strives to advance military medicine for each Service branch.”
Following her military retirement, Bono served as a gubernatorial appointee in leading the Washington State health system’s response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Trained as a trauma surgeon, she is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Currently, Dr. Bono is serving as the CEO of MedicaliSight, a 3D imaging and guidance software company for intra-procedural navigational guidance, as well as a Senior Fellow at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
During her nearly 30 years of Naval service, Bono received numerous awards, most notably including the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legion of Merit Medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals. For more information see HJF’s Council of Directors at www.HJF.org.