U.S. surgeon general inspires audience with success stories

U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona recalled his reaction to hearing that the George W. Bush administration planned to nominate him to the position in front of a packed auditorium yesterday.

"You're shitting me," Carmona said.

In his remarks on "Health Disparities and Health Literacy," Carmona kept an audience of more than 100 -- which spilled into the aisles, with latecomers sitting on the floor -- entertained with modest and often lighthearted anecdotes.

Describing the scrutiny he went through in the media during his Senate confirmation hearings, Carmona said, "If you come out the other end with vital signs, you get the job."

He explained that his life experiences, as much as his professional background, shape his vision for the country -- which includes using health literacy to transcend cultural barriers, improve preventative care and combat health disparity.

"The path we're on is unsustainable," Carmona said, citing a "revolving door" health care system that solves acute problems while incremental problems -- like obesity -- are on the rise.

He called for an "intergenerational endeavor" to bring scientific knowledge to the community and reform patient care to emphasize prevention, which would free up resources and lessen disparity, he said.

Carmona's life story -- which he said reflects that health disparity "is not just an academic discussion" for him -- is dramatic and unusual.

"My unique distinction is that I'm the only surgeon general to be a high school dropout," he said.

Carmona described spending his childhood in poverty in the Bronx. At age 17, he met a Green Beret, a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, who encouraged him to re-enroll in high school. Thinking he was too old for that, Carmona joined the armed forces instead and was decorated in Vietnam.

After passing a high school equivalency exam, Carmona went on to receive an associate degree from Bronx Community College, both a nursing degree and a medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco, and a master's degree in public health from the University of Arizona.

Carmona, who grew up surrounded by 26 aunts and uncles, was the only person in his family to go to college. His three siblings did not graduate from high school.

Penn officials who attended the event in the Biomedical Research Building were impressed with Carmona's discussion of personal and professional influences.

University Health System Chief Executive Officer Ralph Muller said, "You can see how he was able to weave his life history into a medical message."

"That was absolutely inspirational," School of Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis added. She said that Carmona "articulated and integrated so exceptionally" the sources of his administrative vision.

The reactions of other attendees were more mixed.

First-year Penn Medical student Peter Rowinsky praised Carmona's intention to create 1,200 new community health centers but said that he wasn't convinced that commitment would be followed through.

Carmona said he was pleased to speak at Penn under the joint banners of the Nursing School and the Medical School.

"This is one of the pre-eminent institutions, both as a college and a medical school," he said, adding, "This is about as good as it gets."

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