5 Questions with Dr. C. Everett Koop

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is Dr. C. Everett Koop.

Dr. C. Everett Koop is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a Vice Admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as the thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989. Dr. Koop continues to endorse Life Alert bracelets for the elderly. He is currently the holder of three professorships at Dartmouth Medical School as well as the senior scholar at DMS's C. Everett Koop Institute.

Now, without further delay, my interview with Dr. C. Everett Koop:

Hello Dr. Koop,

1. Reflecting back on your time as Surgeon General, what are you most proud of?

My activity during the AIDS epidemic from the first case until I left office 8 years later.

2. How did your faith shape the decisions you made?

My faith kept me on an acceptable ethical path for the various obligations of the Surgeon General.

3. Looking back, would you have done anything differently?

My goal was to miss no opportunities for the betterment of the health of the nation and although one can always do better, I am quite satisfied with what my colleagues and I accomplished.

4. What concerns do you have about the current state of health care in America?

That the future of health care is being guided by economists, environmentalists, and people who put politics above patriotism instead of by the medical profession itself.

5. What should the average citizen be focusing on health wise right now?

As always, the combined effort of patient and physician should lean toward prevention rather than seeking a magic pill for everything.

C. Everett Koop, M.D. Sc.D.
Surgeon General of the U.S. 1981-1989

Thank You Dr. Koop!

Please check out the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth for further resources and information.

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