Scott Gee Named AHA Deputy National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk

The American Hospital Association (AHA) named James “Scott” Gee, deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk. In his new role, Gee will work with John Riggi, AHA’s national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, to develop strategies and operating priorities to support and advance the cybersecurity and physical risk mitigation practices of the nation’s hospitals and health systems. In addition, Gee will deliver cybersecurity and risk trainings for hospital and health system executives, state and regional hospital associations and commercial partners.

“Cybersecurity attacks, especially ransomware attacks, are occurring at an alarming pace, posing risks to every hospital, the patients they care for and the communities they serve,” said Riggi. “Scott brings a deep knowledge of cyber threat prevention, detection, response and mitigation, which is critical for defending against and minimizing the impact of these attacks.”

In addition to providing support to individual hospitals, AHA shares information and guidance with the field on the latest cyberthreats. The AHA also works closely with federal partners, including the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Secret Service on efforts to prevent and mitigate cyberattacks.

Gee also will help Riggi manage the AHA Preferred Cybersecurity Provider (APCP) program. The AHA established the APCP program as part of its continued commitment to support members as they develop and implement their cybersecurity strategies and initiatives by identifying trusted technology providers with vetted services.

Most recently, Gee served as cyber incident response manager at Microsoft. Gee was responsible for overseeing critical elements of the security infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities, ensuring the safety and security of sensitive government customer networks and billions of dollars of assets and intellectual property.

Gee also served with distinction for 22 years with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), where he improved technical cyber and investigative operations across multiple governmental departments including building the USSS Counter Drone Unit. He was the recipient of the USSS Director’s Award. Gee provided protection for the president and vice president of the United States. He was integral in developing initial policies for the Cyber Security Advisory Board of CISA as well as leading the Secret Service cybercrime training program, where he was responsible for training and equipping their front-line cybercrime investigators.

Gee is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and mass media from the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill, N.C.