In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ferradaand the second or maternal family name is Tolra.
Ferrada in 2021
Paula Andrea Ferrada Tolra (born April 28, 1977 in Cali, Colombia) is a Colombian-born surgeon and physician. Dr. Ferrada is known for her efforts to improve trauma care both nationally and internationally.[1] Dr Ferrada is the Chair of the Department of Surgery at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Division and System Chief for Acute Care Surgery and Trauma, Medical Director of Perioperative Services for the Inova Healthcare System,[2] and a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia.[3]
In 1994, Paula was awarded the title of Miss Belleza Juvenil in a beauty pageant in Colombia, and hosted a local TV show called Super Bien. After acting in the Colombian comedy O todos en la cama,[4] Paula began a modeling career, appearing in several television commercials.
Ferrada has received multiple teaching awards from Harvard Medical School. During her tenure at the Virginia Commonwealth University VCU School of Medicine, she was honored with the Irby-James Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.[10] She was also the recipient of the institution’s Leadership in Graduate Medical Education Award.[11]
Ferrada has directed ultrasound courses for residents and trained numerous surgeons in bedside ultrasound techniques. Her expertise in echocardiography stems from her training at the Trauma Echocardiography Service at the Shock Trauma Center. She also created a course to train first responders in using ultrasound to guide therapy in hypotensive patients, which she has taught in over 10 countries in Latin America in collaboration with the Panamerican Trauma Society.[12]
Ferrada is a member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, where she has championed mentorship as a core mission. As Chair of the mentoring committee, she launched a mid-career mentoring program.[13] As Division Chair of Member Services, she developed several initiatives including a speaker’s bureau, a Twitter chat series, and recruitment programs.[14]
She has also created and funded scholarships supporting young surgeons in international exchange programs and mentoring initiatives that have empowered women globally to become leaders in healthcare, making a measurable impact in supporting underrepresented voices in surgery and healthcare leadership.[15]
In recognition of her deep commitment to surgical education, Dr. Ferrada was inducted as a Member of The Academy of Master Surgeon Educators™ (MAMSE).[16]
In 2022, she received the prestigious Olga Jonasson Distinguished Member Award from the Association of Women Surgeons, honoring her mentorship of countless women surgeons around the world.[17]
Leadership roles and impact
Ferrada currently serves as Chair of the Department of Surgery at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus (IFMC), a position she has held since January 2025.[18] In this role, she oversees faculty recruitment, retention, and professional development across surgical specialties and training programs, and leads departmental initiatives related to clinical integration, education, and research. Ferrada also serves as Medical Director of Perioperative Services at IFMC, a role she assumed in 2024, with responsibility for operational efficiency, quality, and patient safety across 56 operating rooms and 15 procedure rooms. In this capacity, she oversees perioperative services supporting approximately 54,000 procedures annually and a workforce of more than 750 staff members.[19]
Ferrada also serves as System Chief of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery for the Inova Health System, providing clinical and strategic leadership for trauma and emergency surgical services across multiple hospitals within the system.[20]
At the national level, Ferrada has held multiple leadership positions within the American College of Surgeons (ACS), including President of the Virginia Chapter, Chair of the Young Fellows Association, and member of the Program Committee for the ACS Clinical Congress.[21][22][23] She has also served as Vice Chair for Verification and Certification for the ACS National Ultrasound Faculty and currently serves as a Governor of the American College of Surgeons representing the state of Virginia.[24]
Ferrada was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Office of Emergency Medical Services, where she serves as State Trauma Coordinator. She was voted by the board members to serve as the Chair for the EMS advisory board.[25]
She has also held leadership roles focused on advancing women in surgery, including serving as President of the Virginia Chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons, during which she supported mentorship initiatives for medical students and early-career surgeons across the state.[26]
Internationally, Ferrada has been deeply involved with the Panamerican Trauma Society, where she has held several leadership positions including Chair of the Education and Research Committee and Executive Secretary. In 2023, she became President of the Society, becoming the second woman from North America and the youngest surgeon to hold the position.
Ferrada is President-Elect of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST), a professional society dedicated to advancing the care of injured patients and the science of trauma and acute care surgery.[27]
She is an alumna of the Executive Program in Advanced Management at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business[28] and of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program, which prepares senior women leaders for executive roles in academic health centers.[29]
Research
Ferrada’s research focuses on trauma resuscitation, critical care, and surgical education. She has received multiple grants supporting research aimed at improving outcomes in severely injured patients, with an emphasis on early decision-making and system-level interventions in trauma care.[30]
One of her most notable contributions has been advancing the concept of prioritizing circulation over airway management during the initial phase of trauma resuscitation. This work has been explored through multicenter collaboration and outcomes-based research and has influenced clinical discussion regarding early trauma management strategies.[31]
In addition to clinical research, Ferrada has contributed extensively to the literature on surgical education and the use of ultrasound in acute care settings. She has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed publications across trauma surgery, critical care, ultrasound education, and graduate medical education.[32]
Ferrada currently serves as an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Surgery[33] and is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons,[34] Surgery,[35] and the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.[36]
Her research and academic contributions have been cited in national media discussions on trauma innovation, including coverage highlighting evolving approaches to trauma resuscitation and patient survival.[37]
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