surgeon general :: essays research papers

There are many leaders in the fall in States today. These men and women help to form the nation into what it is today and what it will be in the future. One of these important leaders of the United States is the sawbones General. The surgeon General has many responsibilities and priorities that form our nations Public Health establishment. These responsibilities and priorities of the operating surgeon General will be explained throughout this paper.According to the Readers Digest Encyclopedia the Surgeon General is the chief medical officer for the United States Public Health System. This means that since 1871 the Surgeon General has been the nations leading spokesman on matters of public health. The first person to hold the position of Surgeon General was Dr. John Woodworth. Dr. Woodworth put together a multitude of physicians to assist him with health issues. The Congress recognized these men and women as the Commissioned Corps.Over the old age the position of Surgeon Genera l has changed in many ways. In 1873 the official title of the Surgeon General was changed to Supervising Surgeon General and then sustain to just Surgeon General in 1902. According to Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia the Surgeon General was the head of the Public Health System and reported directly to the Secretary of Health. After 1968 the Surgeon General reported to the Assistant Secretary of Health.The current Surgeon General for the United States is Dr. David Satcher. He was innate(p) in Anniston, Alabama on March second 1941. Dr. Satcher, his wife Nola, and his four children live in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Satcher received his M.D. and PhD from Case Western Reserve University in 1970. Dr. Satcher is the 16th Surgeon General and also the first African American man to hold this position. Fourteen men and two women have held the position since it originated in 1871. Dr. Satcher was verbalize in on February thirteenth 1998 and his term will end in February 2002. He also held t he position of Secretary of Health from February 1998 to January 2001. He was also the Surgeon General at this time. According to the Official Surgeon General website, Dr. Satcher has many jobs and responsibilities. First off his job is to administer the U.S. Public Health System. This is a group of public health professionals who respond to current and long-term health needs of the Nation. Dr. Satcher also provides leadership and management to the Public Health Service in the handle of emergency preparedness and response activities.