CDR Christina La Croix, DO, MC, USN

Uniformed Services University

Dr. Christina La Croix is originally from New York City, where she also received her college education graduating with a BA in classical languages/classical civilization from Fordham University. She received her osteopathic medical degree from Midwestern University, where she graduated with highest honors, including the Glascow-Rubin Achievement Citation and induction into the Sigma Sigma Phi Honors Society. She was selected to do a transitional internship at National Naval Hospital (now Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, WRNMMC), followed by a tour as a General Medical Officer at the Navy Annex of the DiLorenzo Clinic at the Pentagon, where she managed a patient panel of 1,500 patients. She trained with the Army in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), where she was Chief Resident and graduated in 2012 with academic honors. She subsequently worked as an attending at WRNMMC as the Department Head of Inpatient PMR, Department Head of Outpatient PMR, Director of DME, and as Service Chief of PMR. 

In this role and in support of the US military’s global health initiatives, she was hand selected to twice travel to the Republic of Georgia to partner in developing ground-up medical programs to rehabilitate wounded Georgian soldiers. She worked alongside Georgian counterparts developing the structure, systems, treatment protocols, and curricula for continued training.

Finding significant mental health needs in her patients on PMR, and wanting to further serve the warfighter, CDR La Croix requested and was selected for a second residency, and completed Psychiatry training at WRNMMC. After graduation, she served as Department Chief of the Behavioral Health Consultation-Liaison Service at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. She also served as Product Line Lead for Telebehavioral Health for the Defense Health Agency, and both developed and implemented key policies to ensure safe and effective emergency psychiatric care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following these duties, CDR La Croix was selected to be Director for Medical Services and Director for Behavioral Health. In addition to her leadership roles, she personally saw patients as both a physiatrist and a psychiatrist at the Intrepid Spirit Center (ISC) at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. She became double boarded in both General Psychiatry and Brain Injury Medicine, and in 2020, CDR La Croix was selected to be the head of research at the ISC. She was principal investigator on many multi-center research projects on Traumatic Brain Injury, managing a total of $9 million dollars in grants. She was voted by her peers as the inaugural recipient of the COL Peter J. Weisma Award for Excellence in Research (Researcher of the Year for Fort Belvoir Community Hospital).

She has led and served on numerous leadership committees, including the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Executive Committee of the Medical Staff and the Process Improvement Functional Management Team, where she was the physician Co-chair. She served as Co-chair of the Navy’s Operational Virtual Mental Health, which helped develop the current policies and procedures for sailors onboard ships and submarines. She sits on the Virtual Health Working Group for the Defense Health Agency developing DHA policy for VH, and is the psychiatry/physiatry representative on the Navy’s Neuromuscular Sub-Committee Board, which is developing policies to improve female sailor recruitment and retention. 

A champion for clinical process improvement, she has served as a key collaborator in working groups for valproic acid policy and esketamine policy. She was on key committees that advised on the selection and development of the new electronic medical record system for the military. In support of efforts to train rising military physicians, she has served as a subject matter expert for the development of the new Advanced Medical Department Officer Course (AMDOC).

Since 2014 she has been an Assistant Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). Now full-time faculty at USU, she is Co-Director for the Neuroscience Module, which is the preclinical integrated curriculum for first year medical students addressing neuroanatomy, psychiatry, and neurology. She has updated and rewritten USU examinations in multiple specialties to comply with NBME requirements. She is a graduate of the USU AFHPE program, and is currently engaged in the Masters of Professional Health Education, leading research on the interactions between leadership and psychological trauma.

She has been the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal (twice), and Armed Forces Achievement Medal (twice). She was recognized as first runner up for the US Navy Early Career Psychiatry Award (2021), as an Associate Master Clinician (2021), and as a Master Clinician (2022) for exceptional patient care.

CDR La Croix has lectured nationally and internationally, and created poster presentations for the Veterans Administration, American Psychiatric Association, and the Association of Academic Physiatry, among many others.

Her interests include psychoanalysis (she did a fellowship with Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis) and the treatment of neuropsychiatric consequences of traumatic brain injury.

CDR La Croix currently lives in Potomac, MD with her husband and three children. Her interests include fencing, ancient languages, and writing poetry, some of which have been published in literary journals.