James W. Holsinger Jr., MD, PhD, has practiced leadership in a variety of organizations both in academia and in federal (civilian and military) and state government. He currently serves as the Charles T. Wethington Jr. Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky. He has faculty appointments in preventive medicine and environmental health and in health management and policy at the College of Public Health and in internal medicine, surgery, and anatomy at the College of Medicine.

Dr. Holsinger served for 26 years in the US Department of Veterans Affairs. During this time, he held appointments as chief of staff and medical center director in various Veterans Affairs medical centers. In 1990, he was nominated by President George H. W. Bush and confirmed by the US Senate as the first presidentially appointed chief medical director of the Veterans Health Administration. In 1992, he became the first undersecretary for health in the Department of Veterans Affairs. From 1994 to 2003, he served as chancellor of the University of Kentucky Medical Center. In 2003, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed him as the first secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. After serving in that role for two years, Dr. Holsinger returned to the University of Kentucky faculty in 2005.

Dr. Holsinger spent more than 31 years in the US Army Reserve, serving as the commander of several hospitals, in addition to other appointments. His US Army Reserve career culminated in 1989 with his assignment to the Joint Staff as assistant director for Logistics J-4 (Medical Support) and his promotion to major general in 1990. He retired from the US Army Reserve in 1993.