Empowering the Public Health Service (PHS)

One July 10, 2007, three former Surgeons General testified before Congress that they were pressured by White House officials to weaken or suppress scientific findings and reports. Historically, top Department of Health and Human Services aids and officials either are not formally trained in the health sciences; or their previous careers do not include experience in health research, policy, or practice. This policy analysis presentation of a recently published brief will describe the history of the Surgeons General office, explain why the recent Surgeons General have been less visible in cautioning the country about health risks, formulate reform efforts and ideas to increase the efficacy of the PHS, discusses how the Federal Reserve could serve as a useful model for reorganizing the PHS, and identify the primary audience and next steps for health policy reform of the PHS. Efforts at reform could begin by expanding the authority and visibility of the Surgeon General in directing public health policy and education by making the head of PHS an extended term appointment and establishing criteria for PHS leadership to have formal training in population health research and practice. Additionally, granting the Surgeon General greater autonomy from the executive branch by making the position an extended term appointment would alleviate current political pressures that have severely impeded effective public health policy.