RADM Aisha K. Mix, DNP, MPH, RN, NHDP-BC
Chief Nurse Officer
United States Public Health Service

Rear Admiral (RADM) Aisha K. Mix was selected as Chief Nurse Officer in October 2019. As Chief Nurse Officer, RADM Mix advises the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office and the Office of the Surgeon General and the on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of nurse professionals and is responsible for providing leadership to Commissioned Corps and civilian nurses.

RADM Mix’s vision is for U.S. Public Health Service nurses to be leaders in clinical practice, research, education, policy, and program development to improve population health and support national health security.

This vision requires a versatile, agile, and committed cadre of Corps and civilian nurses who reflect the diversity of the people, communities, and the nation we serve. Commissioned Corps nurse officers are positioned to support the mission of the U.S. Public Health Service and the vision of the Chief Nurse Officer not only as technicallyskilled clinicians, but also as proficient leaders and advocates for the nursing profession.

RADM Mix concurrently serves as the Senior Health Policy Administrator for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC). IHSC provides on-site direct patient care at 20 facilities throughout the country and manages the provision of off-site medical care for those housed in approximately 240 additional facilities. RADM Mix is the most senior professional in health policy at IHSC, and manages a team focused on the enhancement of health care delivery within IHSC facilities.

With over 20 years in nursing, RADM Mix has performed as a clinician, public health practitioner, educator, and emergency manager, thereby rendering stellar contributions to nursing and public health throughout her career. She commissioned into the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) in 2006 as a public health analyst for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). At HRSA, RADM Mix mobilized the nursing community to increase awareness of nursing workforce diversity, designed strategies to increase retention and graduation rates for nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and developed policies and programs to enhance access to care for underserved communities. RADM Mix’s varied assignments, while at HRSA, reflect her passion and focus on health equity, health workforce, and community-level engagement to improve population health outcomes.

Prior to joining IHSC, RADM Mix functioned as a senior policy analyst within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). In this capacity, she served as the liaison for emergency operations, translating disaster policy into practice and ensuring that the federal responses to disasters and public health emergencies integrated behavioral health and addressed the needs of at-risk individuals and families. As well, RADM Mix leveraged her knowledge and expertise in nursing workforce development to design and implement expanded nurse deployment roles during disasters, including case management, discharge planning, patient movement, human services, and disaster recovery operations.

In support of the USPHS, RADM Mix has served as Deputy Team Commander for Services Access Team – 5, and as part of the leadership team for Disaster Case Management operations following Hurricane Irene. In addition, she was selected to deploy to Monrovia, Liberia, as a member of the first USPHS team to support the 2014 Ebola Response. Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, RADM Mix assumed the role of field operations policy lead and developed a long-term strategic plan for federal recovery support in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

RADM Mix maintains licensure as a registered nurse and is a board-certified National Healthcare Disaster Professional. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Nursing from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and she completed her Master of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. RADM Mix received her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, with a focus on educational leadership, from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and remains linked to nursing education through adjunct faculty appointments in graduate nursing education. At every opportunity, RADM Mix is a champion for USPHS nurses, nursing as a profession, and nurses’ contributions across the care continuum.