Surgeon General Carmona Honors Former Surgeon General Koop, Who Prepared Federal Report on AIDS

Surgeon General Richard Carmona on Tuesday awarded to former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop the Surgeon General's Medallion -- the highest award the surgeon general can bestow on a civilian, according to an HHS release. Koop, who served as surgeon general under President Reagan from 1982 to 1989, served as the "chief federal spokesperson" on HIV/AIDS when it was first recognized in the early 1980s, Carmona said in a speech he delivered at the awards ceremony. Koop in October 1986 released a report on HIV/AIDS that "contributed significantly to providing accurate, comprehensive information" on the disease, Carmona said, adding that Koop also wrote a Public Health Service brochure, titled "Understanding AIDS," that was sent to all 107 million U.S. households in 1988, the largest public health mailing ever. Carmona also praised Koop for his work to promote smoking cessation, organ transplantation and the rights of the disabled. Koop currently serves as senior scholar of the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth University and as chair or member of various boards of health-related organizations, Carmona said (HHS release, 1/4).

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