Letter from the Surgeon General
Surgeon General of the United States
Washington, DC
Dear MRC Leaders and Volunteers,
As the 18th Surgeon General, it is an honor and privilege to know that I can count on our Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) for support as we build a stronger, healthier, and better prepared nation - one community at a time. As “America’s Doctor,” I am responsible for the health of 300 million patients. This is a big task, but I am inspired by each of you, who give so generously of yourselves to serve others, knowing you are there to help.
Like many of you, I was an MRC volunteer. I was also on the board of our local organization that helped establish our MRC unit in Southwest Alabama. The inspiration I received from my fellow MRC volunteers – men and women like you – is something that continues to give me strength and pride. The willingness of MRC volunteers to give their best efforts to help make our communities safer and healthier reflects a determined, generous spirit that I believe is our nation's richest resource.
You continue to provide assistance and depth to our local emergency response systems. All of us - individuals, family members and communities - need to be better prepared. To accomplish this, we must continue to forge partnerships among emergency management, law enforcement, health professionals, and the uniformed services. Everyone needs to be aware of potential health threats, and we need to be trained to meet those threats in an effective, coordinated manner.
In addition, prevention is the foundation of our public health system and it is the foundation of my work as Surgeon General. I hope you will use your skills and enthusiasm to help promote our public health initiatives in your community, especially those that address prevention. Some of my prevention priorities include: obesity and overweight, violence (youth, domestic, gender and workplace), mental health, HIV/AIDS, tobacco use, and health disparities.
Again, I thank you for your service and commitment. Each of us has a role to play in helping America meet its challenges. I look forward to working with you to help us become a Healthy and Fit Nation.
With sincere thanks,
/s/
Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA
VADM, USPHS
United States Surgeon General
