Role of Public Health in Safety

Guest Bio: David Satcher, MD

In 1998 Dr. David Satcher became the second person in history to simultaneously hold the positions of Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health. Dr. Satcher served under both Democratic and Republican parties and led efforts to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. He released Surgeon General’s reports on tobacco and health, mental health, suicide prevention, mental retardation, sexual health and responsible sexual behavior, youth violence prevention, and obesity.

Prior to his position as Surgeon General, Dr. Satcher served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and president of Meharry Medical College. He currently occupies the Poussaint-Satcher-Cosby Chair in Mental Health at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and serves on the board of directors for Johnson and Johnson, MetLife, and the Kaiser Family Foundation. He has teamed up with Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school program dedicated to fighting childhood obesity by encouraging proper nutrition and exercise practices in schools.