What Is the Title of the Surgeon General?

Heed "the general's" warning.

What do you think when you hear the title Surgeon General? You probably recall the Surgeon General's warning on various product labels or think about a public official speaking about threats to our national health. In fact, the Surgeon General in the United States does this in her role as America's doctor. The current Surgeon General is Vice Admiral Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A. She is responsible for advising the public in regard to current scientific research so that individuals can improve their own health, thereby increasing the health of the entire nation. What does the term Surgeon General mean, however, and how is it connected to the military?

Military Doctor

This causes injuries.

According to Lt. Col. Robert Pearce, the appointment of a medical adviser to a Commander-in-Chief of an army originated in the 16th century when Ambroise Paré distinguished himself in service to Mareschal de Montejan, colonel-general of the French infantry. Paré specialized in military surgery and rose to the level of surgeon-in-chief. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell established the New Model Army in England and created medical regiments each headed by a regimental chirugeon (sic) assisted by a barber-chirugeon. Cromwell referred to his own physician as chirugeon general and paid him four shillings a day.

Regimental Officer

They also heal.

In 1660 the British Standing Army needed higher-ranking medical officers to direct the Regimental Medical Officers, so a medical staff made up of the Surgeon General, a Physician General and an Apothecary General developed. The use of the title Surgeon-General occurred in 1664 when John Knight became the head of medical affairs for Charles II. By the time of the American Revolution in 1776, political and military leaders recognized the importance of medical expertise during warfare. Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, served as the first Surgeon General and Physician General in the Middle Department of the Continental army, thereby introducing the title in the United States.

Surgeon General of the United States

Although the title Surgeon General is still used to denote chief medical officers in the United States armed forces, the use of the title of Surgeon General separate from the military began in 1871 with the formation of the Public Health Service. In fact, WordNet Glossary gives two definitions for Surgeon General, "the senior medical officer in an Army or Navy" or "the head of the United States Public Health Service."

U.S. Public Health Service

The U.S. Public Health Service grew as a result of the reorganization of the Marine Hospital Service in 1870. Congress organized the Marine Hospital Service in 1798 to serve the medical needs of merchant seamen, but in 1870 it became a national hospital system under the direction of a medical officer originally called the Supervising Surgeon. This officer eventually received the title of Surgeon General. The first person to hold the title of Surgeon General was Dr. John Woodworth, appointed in 1871. As Surgeon General, Woodworth created and managed a corps of medical personnel with ranks similar to the military. The chief ranking officer (Vice Admiral) of this new Public Health Service was the Surgeon General. Until 1968 the person who held this title was the head of the PHS. The Surgeon General was the chief administrative and financial officer of the Office of the Surgeon General and reported directly to the secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.

Shifting Roles

In 1968 President Lyndon B. Johnson assigned the responsibility for the PHS to the assistant secretary of health, making the Surgeon General a deputy to the assistant secretary of health. No longer did the Surgeon General manage an office. The title of Surgeon General now meant one who advised the assistant secretary on professional medical matters. At this time the Surgeon General also became the PHS spokesperson on certain health issues. When the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) was re-established in 1987, the Surgeon General once again became the head of the commissioned corps of officers in the PHS, reporting to the assistant secretary of health. The current Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service is Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A. Because the Surgeon General is the chief officer of a military-style commissioned corps of officers, she holds the title of and is referred to as vice admiral.

References

• "ADH Health"; The emerging office of the Surgeon General; Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Pearce; April 2002
• Office of the Surgeon General: History of the Office of the Surgeon General
• WordNet: home page
• Office of the Surgeon General: Biography of the Surgeon General