Dr. Andrea D. Birnbaum is a nationally recognized physician leader in graduate medical education (GME), academic oversight, and health professions policy. Since 2021, she has served as director of the Oversight and Compliance Unit within the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), where she provides strategic leadership for national compliance audits, policy development, and educational initiatives across the nation’s largest integrated health professions training system.

Prior to her national role, Dr. Birnbaum served as designated education officer and associate chief of staff for education at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago. As the medical center’s senior education leader, she was the primary liaison to three major academic medical schools in Chicago, partnering with institutional leaders to align strategy, accreditation, and operations across graduate and health professions education programs. She also served as chief of ophthalmology, leading faculty recruitment, program development, and succession planning while mentoring emerging clinical leaders.

Dr. Birnbaum is a professor of ophthalmology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and remains clinically active, supervising residents and providing patient care. She earned her MD and PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master of science in law from Northwestern University. Her scholarly work includes extensive peer-reviewed publications and invited presentations in clinical ophthalmology, GME financing, academic oversight, and veterans’ health care.

Dr. Birnbaum brings a distinctive blend of clinical expertise, educational leadership, and regulatory insight to national governance roles. She is deeply committed to advancing academic integrity, strengthening learning environments, and ensuring that health professions education meaningfully serves both learners and the veterans entrusted to their care.