Surgeon General, U.S.

The term Surgeon General is used in the United States to denote the supervising medical officer of the Public Health Commissioned Corps within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The term is also applicable when referring to the senior medical officer within the U.S. Army and Air Force. Foreign governments also have equivalent positions but do not make use of this particular title.

The position of U.S. Surgeon General was created as a result of the reorganization and recognition of the Marine Hospital Service, a group of hospitals originally constructed to provide health services at key sea and river ports to merchant marines. Expansion of the military and growth in the science of public health led to the need for a national hospital system with centralized administration. The newly reconstructed Marine Hospital system was overseen by a Supervising Surgeon from 1871 to 1872, a Supervising Surgeon General from 1873 to 1901, and a Surgeon General from 1902 to date. Dr. John Woodworth was appointed the first Supervising Surgeon of the U.S. Marine Hospital Service, predecessor of today's U.S. Public Health Service, and Walter Wyman (1891– 1911) was the first surgeon to hold the title of Surgeon General.

The U.S. Surgeon General oversees more than 6,000 members of the Public Health Commissioned Corps, holds the rank of Admiral of the Commissioned Corps, and ex officio is the spokesperson on matters of national public health. The U.S. Surgeon General conducts duties under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Office of the Surgeon General is part of the office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The U.S. Surgeon General is appointed to a 4-year term. This appointment is made after a recommendation from the President of the United States and the endorsement of the U.S. Senate. Official duties of this office are the following:

• Oversee the Commissioned Corps, a diverse collection of health professionals considered experts in public health.
• Provide leadership and direct response to public health matters, current and long term, and provide direction in matters of emergency preparedness and response.
• Establish, protect, and represent a commitment to national health through education and endorsement of empirically supported disease prevention and health promotion programs for the nation.
• Carry out communicative, advisory, analytical, and evaluative roles in matters of domestic and international scientific health policy with both governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
• Ensure quality in existing and planned public health practice throughout the professions by establishing research priorities and appropriate standards.
• Participate in various traditional and statutory federal boards, governing entities, and nongovernmental health organizations such as Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the National Library of Medicine, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, and American Medical Association.