RADM Lushniak is retiring from the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (see details below). To bid him farewell, our local branch posed in a couple pictures to wish him the best in retirement.
Dear Fellow Officers:
It is with sadness that I write to inform you that, after nearly five years of determined and selfless service to the Office of the Surgeon General, and after 27 years of dedication to the Commissioned Corps, RADM Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH will be retiring from the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps at the end of the summer.
During these past five years, RADM Lushniak has served not only as Deputy Surgeon General, but also as Acting Surgeon General, leading the Corps and OSG through some of the biggest challenges we’ve faced in modern times. He spearheaded the response to natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and the Joplin tornado. He guided the Corps in our response to last year’s crisis with unaccompanied children. And he presided over the historic deployment of Corps officers to combat the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. RADM Lushniak has also served as a powerful voice for our nation’s health, releasing the highly influential Surgeon General’s Report on smoking and Call to Action on skin cancer.
RADM Lushniak’s deep and enduring respect for the Commissioned Corps is reflected in the growth and leadership that we have seen over the past five years. He has helped improve the structure of the Corps and strengthened our mission so we can better serve vulnerable populations.
On a personal note, RADM Lushniak has been a trusted colleague and advisor to me, allowing me to quickly assume the many roles and responsibilities of the Surgeon General. From the very first time I met him during a Prevention Advisory Group meeting in 2013, I was struck by his warmth, eloquence, and kindness. These qualities are his trademarks. They have made him a beloved colleague and friend to officers throughout the Corps. And they are among the many reasons he will be missed so greatly.
In light of RADM Lushniak’s retirement, I have spent much time considering who should be our next Deputy Surgeon General. I have spoken with many of our senior officers around the country and have sought input from leaders inside and outside the Department of Health and Human Services. RADM Lushniak’s counsel has been an essential part of this decision and has helped guide me in my final decision.
I am pleased to announce that I am recommending RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams to serve as the next Deputy Surgeon General of the United States beginning in October. Many of you have already worked with RADM Trent-Adams in her role as Chief Nurse Officer in the USPHS and know her to be an exemplary leader and a dedicated public servant.
RADM Trent-Adams began her career in the Corps in 1992, and she currently serves as Deputy Associate Administrator of the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration. She also was recently deployed as a commanding officer at the Monrovia Medical Unit during our Ebola response.
Her previous positions at HRSA include: senior program management officer, branch chief, senior nurse consultant, and other nursing and policy positions. RADM Trent-Adams has published numerous articles, worked on research studies and presented to a variety of domestic and international organizations and professional groups. Prior to joining the USPHS, RADM Trent-Adams served as a nurse in the U.S. Army and as a cancer research nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
RADM Trent-Adams will bring a number of essential qualities to the position of Deputy Surgeon General. In addition to her broad experiences in public health, clinical work, research, response and organizational management, she will also bring ingenuity, an exemplary work ethic and an unquestionable passion for the Corps to her new role.
Please join me in thanking RADM Lushniak for all he has sacrificed and accomplished for the Commissioned Corps and for the American people. And join me in welcoming RADM Trent-Adams whose tenure as Deputy Surgeon General we await with great expectations. Together, we honor the service of two of the Commissioned Corps’ finest officers.
Warm wishes,
Vivek H. Murthy
U.S. Surgeon General