Research!America and Partners Salute Heroes on the Front Lines of Public Health
Public Health Thank You Day, November 24, 2014
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-November 20, 2014-As Thanksgiving approaches, Research!America and leading U.S. public health organizations urge Americans to salute public health professionals who go above and beyond to protect the health of our nation. Public Health Thank You Day honors all those unsung heroes who keep our drinking water safe and air clean, develop vaccines, track and investigate infections, and protect us against threats such as influenza, the Ebola and Enterovirus D68 outbreaks and natural disasters.
“Every day, public health professionals here and around the world work in challenging and sometimes dangerous situations to protect our health. The Ebola epidemic in West Africa and cases of Ebola in the U.S. are a reminder of the global nature of public health threats,” said Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Whether they are working to keep us safe from infectious disease threats, or finding ways to promote healthy opportunities, thanks to all the dedicated public health professionals who work to keep us safe and healthy.”
These everyday heroes include our health inspectors, environmental health scientists, laboratorians, epidemiologists, public health researchers, sanitation workers, nurses and many other dedicated workers. The CDC, local health departments and various institutions within our public health infrastructure have come together to address recent outbreaks, and public health professionals are tackling these threats head-on – as they do with other health challenges on a daily basis. Continue reading →
U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin Stepping Down in July
left to right: Mary Woolley, president and CEO, Research!America; Jack T. Watters, MD, Research!America Board member and VP for External Medical Affairs, Pfizer Inc.; and U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, at Research!America’s 2012 Advocacy Awards Dinner
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, recently announced her resignation as the nation’s top doctor after four years in the post.
Dr. Benjamin, the 18th surgeon general, has been an active advocate for public health with a special interest in disease prevention, smoking cessation and healthy lifestyles.
“She has been a remarkable advocate in promoting the value of prevention as a national health priority. She forged the way as leader of the National Prevention Council, created under the Affordable Care Act, to help transform our nation’s health system from one that focuses on treating disease to one that focuses on prevention and staying well,” said Research!America Board member and American Public Health Association Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, in a press release.
Deputy Surgeon General Boris Lushniak, MD, MPH, will serve as acting Surgeon General in July while a permanent replacement is sought.
