About Us

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Michael Edgar Toedt, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., RDML, USPHS, (Retired)

Michael Edgar Toedt is an American physician and public health officer who served as a rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and as chief medical officer of the Indian Health Service (IHS) from 2017 to 2021. In this role, he was the agency's lead expert on medical and public health topics for American Indian and Alaska Native health care, providing national leadership for clinical and community-based programs. Toedt also served as operations chief for the IHS response to the COVID-19 pandemic. After retiring from federal service, he founded Toedt Health Solutions, LLC and became a senior consultant with CCR Consulting Group.

Early Life and Education 

Toedt graduated with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1991, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in applied physics with a minor in applied optics. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1995. He completed a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in obstetrics at Franklin Square Hospital Center (now MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center) in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1995 to 1999.

Career 

Toedt began his career in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps as an ensign while attending medical school. After completing his training, he served as a family physician at the Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, North Carolina, from 1999 to 2002, providing care in outpatient, inpatient, and emergency settings. From 2002 to 2005, he was a ready responder with the National Health Service Corps, serving in rural West Virginia. Toedt served as team leader for Rapid Deployment Force 3 and participated in numerous disaster responses, including Hurricanes Sandy, Irene, Gustav, Ernesto, Katrina, and Ivan; California wildfires; and IHS deployments to Kodiak, Alaska, and Rosebud, South Dakota.

He returned to Cherokee Indian Hospital as chief of staff from 2005 to 2007 and as clinical director from 2007 to 2014. In these roles, he chaired the quality committee, integrated behavioral health, pharmacy, and nutrition services into primary care, achieved the highest level of patient-centered medical home recognition, and improved immunization rates, health screenings, and outcomes for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. From 2014 to 2015, Toedt was the chief medical informatics officer (acting) at IHS headquarters, leading clinical informatics for the development and improvement of the IHS Resource and Patient Management System Electronic Health Record. He then served as chief medical officer for the IHS Nashville Area from 2015 to 2017, overseeing medical services for 29 tribes across 14 states.

In January 2017, Toedt became acting chief medical officer of the IHS and was appointed permanently in June 2017. He was promoted to rear admiral by November 2017. As CMO, he provided policy guidance, advocated for health professionals, and led efforts on public health issues, including the opioid crisis and HIV prevention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as operations chief for the IHS response and testified before Congress on the agency's efforts. Toedt chaired the National Council of Chief Medical Officers, served on IHS and interagency committees, and held academic appointments at medical schools. From 2012 to 2014, he was an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. He testified before congressional committees on topics including IHS priorities, opioids, and COVID-19 in Native communities.

Toedt retired from the Commissioned Corps after nearly 30 years of service, having achieved the rank of rear admiral and serving as an assistant surgeon general of the United States. Post-retirement, he founded Toedt Health Solutions, LLC, a health consulting firm, and serves as a senior consultant with CCR Consulting Group. He is also involved with the AIMES Alliance, focusing on expanding graduate medical education opportunities in Native communities. In 2023, he collaborated with Leap Metrics on health information technology initiatives.

Awards and Honors 

Toedt is board certified in family medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is a two-time recipient of the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award, and of numerous Public Health Service honors and awards, including including an exceptional proficiency promotion, the Distinguished Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal.

Publications 

Toedt has published several articles on medical and public health topics. He has been cited in studies related to health disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives, including diabetes-related mortality and racial misclassification in mortality records.e about your experienced consultants.