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Washington, DC – The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today congratulated Jerome Adams, M.D., on his confirmation as Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Adams is the first physician anesthesiologist to hold this important position.
Dr. Adams was confirmed today by the U.S. Senate. As the Surgeon General, colloquially known as the “nation’s doctor,” Dr. Adams will work to provide Americans with scientific information on improving their health and reducing their risk of illness and injury. The Office of the Surgeon General is part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We want to heartily congratulate Dr. Jerome Adams on becoming our nation’s Surgeon General,” said ASA President Jeffrey S. Plagenhoef. “Dr. Adams has passion for, and deep knowledge and experience in public health that accompanies his education, training and practice as a physician anesthesiologist. Physician anesthesiologists are leaders in patient safety, and we have no doubt he will bring the same focus to support the health and wellbeing of Americans.”
Dr. Adams will be leaving his position as Indiana Health Commissioner, only the second African American to ever serve in that position. In that role, he oversaw the Public Health Protection and Laboratory Services, Health and Human Services, Health Care Quality and Regulatory, and Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commissions. He was appointed in 2014 by Vice President Michael R. Pence, then governor of Indiana. Dr. Adams is recognized as a leading expert in the substance abuse epidemic, and his swift and robust response to one of the largest HIV outbreaks in United States’ history helped avert a larger public health crisis amid the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic. He has testified before Congressional committees on the subject.
Dr. Adams is a faculty member at Indiana University where he teaches residents and maintains a clinical focus on regional anesthesia and pain management. He works clinically at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis, a level 1 trauma center, where he serves as chair of the Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. He has authored several papers and book chapters, including chapters in “Anesthesia Student Survival Guide, A Case Based Approach,” and an editorial in the American Journal of Public Health titled, “Are Pain Management Questions in Patient Satisfaction Surveys Driving the Opioid Epidemic?”
Dr. Adams went to medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Prior to finishing medical school, he completed a master’s in public health, with a focus on chronic disease prevention at the University of California at Berkeley. He completed his internship in internal medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis, and residency in anesthesiology at Indiana University. He is board certified in anesthesiology. He is immediate past chair of the ASA Professional Diversity Committee, and also served on ASA’s Health and Public Policy and Governmental Affairs Committees.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 52,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring that physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during, and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care that every patient deserves.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount.
