Ronald Ray Blanck | |
---|---|
Born | Lancaster, Pennsylvania | October 8, 1941
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1968–2000 |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Commands | Surgeon General of the United States Army |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War Cold War |
Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Defense Superior Service Medal Legions of Merit (3) Bronze Star Medal |
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ronald Ray Blanck, D.O. (born October 8, 1941) was the 39th Surgeon General of the United States Army, from 1996 to 2000. He is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and is the only such physician ever appointed Surgeon General of the Army. He was also president of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth from 2000 to 2006. He is the former chairman of the board of regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. [1]
Blanck was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on October 8, 1941. He is a graduate of Juniata College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine [2] [3] and is board certified in internal medicine.
He began his military career in 1968 as a medical officer and battalion surgeon in the Vietnam War. He retired 32 years later as the Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command, with more than 46,000 military personnel and 26,000 civilian employees throughout the world.
During his military career, he also served as commander of Walter Reed Army Medical Center; first commander of the North Atlantic Region Medical Command; [4] and Director of Professional Services and Chief of Medical Corps Affairs for the U.S. Army Surgeon General. Other assignments included Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine; Chief of the Department of Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center; Commander, Berlin Army Hospital; and Commander, Frankfurt Regional Army Medical Center.
He has held teaching positions at Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University College of Medicine, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
He joined the UNT Health Science Center in August 2000 after his retirement from the U.S. Army and served as president until June 30, 2006. [5] [6] As president, he headed an academic health center that includes the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health and School of Health Professions.
He is a partner and Chairman of the Board of Martin, Blanck & Associates. The company, formerly Martin & Associates, does health care consulting for the private sector and the government. He is consulted as an advisor on bioterrorism issues and an expert in preparing the medical community to respond to mass casualty incidents or those involving weapons of mass destruction. He chaired task forces on bioterrorism for both the Texas Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association.
His military honors include Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medals.
In 2000, the American Medical Association honored him with its highest award for government officials, the Dr. Nathan Davis Award. [7]
He is past governor of the American College of Physicians/American Society of Internal Medicine and was named a Master by the society.
He is past chair of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' National Research Advisory Council, past member and chair of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), past chair of the board of managers of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and past chair of Tenax Therapeutics, Inc. He is currently on the board of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine as well as the board of Operative Experience, Inc.
In late 2022, he was selected to be the interim president of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), a member of Intealth, and a partner of ECFMG. [8]
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university and professional school of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad as uniformed health professionals, scientists and leaders; by conducting cutting-edge, military-relevant research; by leading the Military Health System in key functional and intellectual areas; and by providing operational support to units around the world.
The University of North Texas System is a public university system headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is the administrative overseer of three otherwise autonomous Texas institutions of higher learning: the University of North Texas, a research institution based in Denton; the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth; and the University of North Texas at Dallas in South- and Downtown Dallas.
The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth – HSC, Health Science Center, Health Science Center at Fort Worth – is an academic health science center in Fort Worth, Texas. It is part of the University of North Texas System and was founded in 1970 as the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, with its first cohort graduating in 1974. The Health Science Center consists of six schools with a total enrollment of 2,338 students (2022-23).
The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least one year of post-graduate clinical training, and a state medical license.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a private medical school with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and additional locations in Suwanee, Georgia and Moultrie, Georgia.
Eric B. Schoomaker is a former United States Army lieutenant general who served as the 42nd Surgeon General of the United States Army and Commanding General, United States Army Medical Command, and a practicing hematologist. He previously served as Commanding General, North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He assumed the post of U.S. Army Surgeon General on December 11, 2007.
Frank Finley Ledford Jr. was an American orthopedic surgeon who served as the 37th Surgeon General of the United States Army from 1988 to 1992.
Lieutenant General George Peach Taylor Jr. USAF (Ret.) was the 18th Surgeon General of the United States Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. General Taylor served as the senior Air Force officer responsible for comprehensive management of the Air Force Medical Service. In this capacity, he advises the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff, as well as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, on matters pertaining to the medical aspects of the air expeditionary force and the health care of 2.6 million Air Force beneficiaries. The Surgeon General has authority to commit resources for the Air Force Medical Service, to make decisions affecting the delivery of medical services, and to develop plans, programs and procedures to support worldwide medical service missions. The Surgeon General exercises direction, guidance and technical management of more than 42,000 people assigned to 74 medical treatment facilities worldwide. From September 7, 2010 – December 22, 2010 he served as the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Charles H. Roadman II was the 16th United States Air Force Surgeon General (1996–1999), Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. His father, Charles H. Roadman (1914–2000), was also an Air Force flight surgeon and command pilot.
Rear Admiral Bonnie Burnham Potter was the first female physician in the Navy Medical Corps to be selected for flag rank. She served as the commanding officer of the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland and Chief of the Navy Medical Corps.
Major General Enrique Méndez Jr. Grau was a United States Army officer who was also the first Puerto Rican to hold the positions of Army Deputy Surgeon General, Commander of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. He was also the Dean and President of the Ponce School of Medicine in Puerto Rico. Also served as Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico.
Rear Admiral Edward Dana Martin is the former Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense. He was appointed to two terms, originally in 1993 and again in 1997. Martin served as the Secretary's principal advisor on matters related to the military health system, health.mil. The Military Health System's (MHS) mission is to provide optimal health services in support of the United States' military mission. The MHS is a unique partnership of medical educators, medical researchers, healthcare providers and their support personnel worldwide. This DoD enterprise consists of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense ; the medical departments of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Combatant Command surgeons; and TRICARE providers.
James K. Gilman, a retired United States Army Major General and physician from Hymera, Indiana, became the first chief executive officer of the NIH Clinical Center Jan. 9, 2017. The NIH Clinical Center is the nation's largest hospital devoted to clinical research.
CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry is located on Abdur Rehman Road in the Cantonment neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan. It is a co-educational institution and is attached to Combined Military Hospital Lahore. It was established in 2006. The medical college is regarded as one of the most competitive in the country while the dental college is regarded as the best in Pakistan, ranked number one in local rankings since its inauguration.
Vice Admiral Matthew L. Nathan served as the 37th Surgeon General of the United States Navy.
Monte Baldwin Miller was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who served as surgeon general of the United States Air Force from 1988 to 1991.
Robert J. T. Joy was an American physician and career Army Medical Corps officer who was an internationally recognized scholar in the field of the history of medicine. He was also a key leader in U.S. Department of Defense Medical Research and Development, and served as one of the key founding staff members of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, where he served as the first commandant of students, chair of the department of military medicine, and, after his retirement from military service, first professor and chair of the section of medical history at the university.
Jean-Robert Bernier is a Canadian military physician who served as the 38th Canadian Surgeon General and chief medical adviser to the North Atlantic Alliance as the 7th chairman of NATO's Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS).
Rafael Rodríguez Mercado is a Puerto Rican neurosurgeon and military officer. He was the Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico from 2017 until his resignation in 2020. Rodríguez Mercado previously served as chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus.
Marc B. Hahn, DO is the president and chief executive officer of Kansas City University (KCU). Before becoming KCU's president in 2013, Hahn served briefly as the university's Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to coming to KCU, he held that same role at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine for 3 years, and at the University of North Texas Health Science Center for 8 years. Hahn had been a professor and Pain Medicine Division Chief at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center following several years in private practice. Hahn is also a veteran of the U.S. Army.