Katherine Scheirman

Colonel Katherine Scheirman, USAF (Ret.), MD, MHA, FACPE, spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of Colonel. Her last assignment was as Chief of Medical Operations for U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Base, Germany during the height of the Iraq War. During this assignment, she oversaw more than 700 medical personnel and 11 junior chiefs of medical staff, and was responsible for medical operations for 10 hospitals and clinics, an Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and an Air Force squadron at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

During her career, Dr. Scheirman served as Chief of Medical Operations at Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command, as Chief of Medical Staff at Yokota AB, Japan and at Tinker Air Force Base hospital from 1994 to 1997. While at Tinker, Dr. Scheirman coordinated the military medical response to the bombing of the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building. She also served as Commander of the Air Force hospital at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and as a squadron flight surgeon for the U-2s at RAF Alconbury, England. She led medical teams to El Salvador and the Ukraine, and provided medical support to the NASA Space Shuttle program in Africa.

Since she retired in 2006, Dr. Scheirman has been an advocate for veterans, active military members and their families, and for healthcare reform. She is the Oklahoma State Director for Doctors for America. She currently serves as chair of the Council of Fellows of the American College of Physician Executives, is a senior advisor to VoteVets.org, and is treasurer of the Oklahoma Democratic Party Veterans Committee. She worked with the ACLU to pass the Shaheen amendment to the FY2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides military women the same coverage for abortion in cases of rape and incest as all other Federal employees, Medicaid recipients and prison inmates.

After growing up in Oklahoma and Texas, Dr. Scheirman earned her BA from Michigan State University, her MD from the University of Oklahoma, and her MHA from Baylor University. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Management.