Includes bibliographical references and index.

What does it mean to be the nation's doctor? In this engaging narrative, journalist Mike Stobbe examines the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, underlining how it has always been an anomaly within the federal government with a unique ability to influence public health. But now Surgeon Generals compete with other high profile figures, like the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Furthermore, in an era of declining budgets, when public health departments eliminate tens of thousands of jobs, some argue that a lower-profile and ineffective surgeon general is a waste of money. Tracing stories of how surgeons general such as Luther Terry, C. Everett Koop, and Jocelyn Elders created policies and confronted controversy in response to issues like smoking, AIDS, and masturbation, Stobbe highlights how this office is key to shaping the nation's health and explains why its decline is harming our country's well-being.

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