Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States, will speak on “Plagues, Prevention, Preparedness and Politics: The Life of the Surgeon General” at the annual “Anchor and Caduceus” Dinner on Friday, January 12th, 2007 at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 16th and K Streets, NW in Washington, DC. Dr. Carmona will deliver the Dr. C. Everett Koop Honorary Lecture at the dinner and will be introduced by Dr. Koop, the 13th U.S. Surgeon General. The event commemorates the establishment of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 1889. The Surgeon General is the commander of the PHS Commissioned Corps.
Dr. Carmona was nominated to a four-year term as Surgeon General by President Bush in March, 2002, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in August of the same year. He is credited with instilling a renewed sense of pride and effectiveness in the 6,000 strong Service of uniformed health professionals who serve as the Nation’s first tier guardians of public health.
An outspoken custodian of the integrity and independence of the Office of the Surgeon General, Carmona insisted on science-based reasoning and decisions regarding the Nation’s health – a position which sometimes put him at odds with the administration’s politicians. Carmona was not re-appointed to a second term and stepped down as Surgeon General in July, 2006. His final Surgeon General’s Report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, was released just weeks before he left office and had an immediate impact leading to the prohibition of smoking in many areas of the country.
The Anchor and Caduceus Dinner is sponsored by the PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation and will both honor the PHS Commissioned Corps and provide an opportunity for public health organizations to recognize Dr. Carmona’s service as U.S. Surgeon General. For reservations and more information contact the Foundation offices at 301.731.9080. Information and online reservations are also available at PHS CO Foundation. Media inquiries should be directed to the Foundation.