Blumenthal Named Health Leader

The Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service has announced that Susan J. Blumenthal, M.D., is the recipient of its 2009 Health Leader of the Year Award. She is a retired rear admiral and assistant surgeon general in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

Blumenthal is being recognized for her lifetime achievements and leadership in raising national awareness and scientific attention to women's health issues, as well as a range of other critical public health concerns. Among her numerous accomplishments, she was the first deputy assistant secretary of women's health in the Department of Health and Human Services and served as a White House advisor on health issues. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service.

Blumenthal is now director of the Health and Medicine Program at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, where she leads its Commission on Charting New Directions in the field. ▪