RRB appoints Chief Medical Officer
(Source: Railroad Retirement Board press release, August 31, 2020)
CHICAGO — The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has appointed Dr. Elizabeth Bonson as its Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Bonson will provide expert medical guidance to the RRB’s Office of Programs, which is responsible for the adjudication of claims for disability annuities and sickness insurance benefits. Additional duties and responsibilities will include the training of examiners on medical issues, serving as an expert consultant on medical contract solicitations, and acting as the RRB’s medical liaison to other federal agencies and the public.
A native of Eagle River, Wisconsin, Dr. Bonson received her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004), where she also earned her medical degree (2008). She completed her residency at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, also earning a master’s in public health (2009). She holds state licenses in Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Washington.
Dr. Bonson spent five years in clinical practice, specializing in occupational health services. She also served as Associate Medical Director at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, responsible for provider education and best-practice program development for worker-related healthcare. Dr. Bonson also has experience as an independent contractor implementing a quality improvement program for consistency and integrity of medical exams in workers’ compensation claims. Most recently, she worked as a physician clinical reviewer providing utilization review and management for healthcare services.
She is double board-certified in preventive medicine and occupation/environmental medicine, and has also authored a number of reports and publications that explore trends, therapies, and management of chronic diseases.
A resident of Charleston, South Carolina at the time of her appointment, she currently resides in Chicago.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020