The chief of staff to the U.S. Surgeon General spoke Wednesday at the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing’s annual School of Nursing and Scholarship day.
Each year the school of nursing selects a high achieving medical professional to be the Whitney Distinguished Lecturer, and this year picked Joel Dulaigh, a captain in the United States Public Health Service and current chief of staff to the United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
In his lecture, titled “Public Health in America: The Priorities of the U.S. Surgeon General,” Dulaigh spoke about the functions of the United States Public Health Service, the priorities of the current Surgeon General and the ways that people can combat these health issues in America today.
“The mission of the U.S. Public Health Service is to provide, protect and promote the health and safety of the nation,” said Dulaigh. “We are the only government institution dedicated solely to combating disease and to the creation of a healthier America.”
The Public Health Service is one of seven uniformed services housed in the Department of Health and Human Services. One notable act from the Public Health Service was the requirement of the warning label on cigarette packs, a change made by Surgeon General Luther Terry.
A Colorado native, Dulaigh has spent more than 30 years serving his country. He began his military career as a member of the National Guard and then transferred to active duty with the U.S. Navy. From there, Dulaigh worked with the White House Medical Unit, the Naval Reserves while in critical care and cardiology at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before his assignment to the Public Health Service.
A focal point of Dulaigh’s lecture was the opioid crisis in the U.S. Current Surgeon General Jerome Adams takes special note of this issue, as his brother struggled with opioid abuse, Dulaigh said. In his push to combat this issue, Adams has begun looking to the everyday American to help put an end to this crisis.
“All members of the staff carry naloxone and now we look to outside the profession to carry. Anyone can save a life if they have Naloxone on hand,” said Dulaigh, referring to a common chemical agent used to treat narcotics overdoses. “We must work together in any way that we can stop and combat the opioid crisis in America.”
Another large issue that the Surgeon General is working on combating is the use of e-cigarettes by young Americans. E-cigarette use has doubled in the last two years, according to the Public Health Service.
“We must protect our nation’s youth from a nicotine addiction and a lifetime of consequences that follow, such as further addiction to other substances,” Dulaigh said.
Dulaigh’s presentation was followed by activities throughout the day for nursing students including presentations from graduate-elects and various other presentations of health care research. The day was concluded with awards presentations and the annual “Willow Ceremony,” which encourages students as they continue in their chosen medical field.
