Dana Curtis Covey

Dana Curtis Covey (born March 27, 1951) is an American military veteran, orthopaedic surgeon serving as clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

From 1973 to 2014, Covey served in the US Navy and was deployed to multiple wars and contingency operations, including Ernest Will, Desert Storm, Provide Promise, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and others.

Early life and education Born in Woodland, California, Covey received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, and received a Bachelor of Science in oceanography in 1973. He obtained a Master of Science in immunology/zoology from the University of Idaho in 1980. Covey then earned a M.D. in 1984 from the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Career

Naval After completing an orthopaedic surgery fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in 1990, and serving with Fleet Hospital 20, Covey served as a staff orthopaedic surgeon at Naval Hospital, Philadelphia, and then deployed for Operation Desert Storm, serving under 1st Marine Expeditionary Force with Fleet Hospital 15, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1, Det. Alpha, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. He was then assigned to Naval Hospital, Bremerton, as the head of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department in 1991, where he conceived and led the development of a tent-based ambulatory surgery facility (Fleet Hospital Training Set) to help train surgeons, nurses, and corpsmen in using field medical equipment for actual patient care. Covey then received orders to Haiti with Fleet Hospital 5 as executive officer and the US Support Group Haiti Surgeon (J7) during Operation Uphold Democracy in 1997. In the same year, he was awarded the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award for Excellence in Military Medicine. From 1997 to 1999, he was the director of surgical services at Naval Hospital, Bremerton, and executive officer of Fleet Hospital 5 from 1997 to 2001. He was the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of Joint Task Force BRAVA in Sri Lanka during the Tamil War in 1998, and then in Vietnam in 2003.

Academic He began his academic career in 1977 as an assistant professor of naval science at the University of Idaho, Moscow. He was a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 1991 go 1995. Since 2014, he has been a clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego.

Research Covey has contributed to studying and managing orthopaedic injuries on and off the battlefield. His work has significantly affected the contemporary treatment of battlefield surgical care. He noted that these types of injuries are no longer confined to battlefields, as they are becoming more common among civilians due to the global rise in terrorism. Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Service Medal with two gold award stars Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold award star Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold award star Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster Combat Action Ribbon Navy Unit Commendation with two bronze service stars Meritorious Unit Commendation with four bronze service stars National Defense Service Medal with two bronze service stars, United States Department of Defense Humanitarian Service Medal with bronze service star, United States Department of Defense NATO Medal with bronze service star, North Atlantic Treaty Organization 2011 – Western Orthopedic Association Founding Father Distinguished Service Award 2013 – Presidential Commendation, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2017 – Outstanding Service Award, Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons 2019 – William W. Tipton Jr., MD Leadership Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2026 Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Clinical Research Award