The UNMC Department of Anesthesiology welcomed Jerome Adams, MD, former U.S. Surgeon General, to UNMC on Aug. 11.
Dr. Adams, who served as the U.S. Surgeon General from 2017 to 2021, said academic medical centers prepare the next generation of health professionals and drive the research and innovation that will shape patient care. They are essential to the nation’s health, he said.
Academic medical centers also are breeding grounds for research, equipment, medications and protocols that improve care, Dr. Adams said, adding “they have a unique opportunity to train health professionals who both come from the communities they will serve and who understand those communities’ needs.”
Dr. Adams’ path to public health leadership began with frustration. “You can do everything right for a patient in the hospital,” he said, “but if they don’t have insurance, transportation or trust in the system, they may not follow through. Public health helps you see the bigger picture.”
Dr. Adams acknowledged the challenges facing health care from medical debt to gaps in access, but said there are opportunities to reimagine the system. “We don’t want to go back to the way things were,” he said. “We want to envision a better future for all of us.”
Cale Kassel, MD, associate professor at the UNMC Department of Anesthesiology, said Dr. Adams’ lecture served as a reminder of the powerful impact health care professionals can have on an individual level.
“While national health policy is important, we can have such a profound impact for each patient we interact with in our practice. Serving as a resource on vaccines or counseling individuals on smoking cessation are simple things we can do to help patients,” Dr. Kassel said. “Dr. Adams is such a dynamic person and despite his impressive credentials, he is genuinely kind; I was honored to be part of his visit.”
Following his grand rounds presentation, the department hosted a “meet and greet,” giving faculty and residents the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with Dr. Adams, who practices anesthesia at Purdue University.
First-year resident Joseph Davidson, MD, said it was a privilege to meet Dr. Adams. “I appreciated that he took the time to shake everyone’s hand and ask something meaningful about our lives,” he said. “It was clear how much he cares about serving others and his dedication to improving the U.S. health care system. I also valued his advice on striving for clinical excellence throughout residency training.”
During the visit, Dr. Adams also met with H. Dele Davies, MD, interim chancellor of UNMC, and toured the ICU and Davis Global Center with anesthesiology department chair, Andrew Patterson, MD, PhD.
Dr. Patterson described Dr. Adams as “the guy next door” – kind, humble and approachable – and one of the nation’s most remarkable physicians.
“His kindness and humility are genuine, shaped by challenges he and his family have overcome which allows him to connect with people from all walks of life,” Dr. Patterson said. “His accomplishments in public health as Indiana’s State Health Commissioner are unparalleled, and as a former U.S. Surgeon General, his voice is trusted across political and ideological lines. We are honored to welcome him to UNMC.”
View photos here.