In many administrations, he or she is a figure head; can you name five of the last six U.S. Surgeons General? Can you name the incumbent? It’s Rear Admiral Regina Benjamin. But the most recognizable Surgeon General of our lifetime - if not modern American history - was C. Everett Koop who died yesterday at the ripe old age of 96. Dr. Koop didn’t look particularly healthy - he was on heavy side - kind of gruff looking and seemed, with his Amish style partial beard, to be something of a throw back; someone who looked like he should be carrying two stone tablets instead of aspirin tablets in his black medical bag. But when Ronald Reagan appointed Dr. Koop - who really was a pediatric surgeon - he may not have known what he was getting into. Koop was ultra conservative politically and a staunch for of abortion. But he was also pragmatic and believed all life was sacred.
He battled smoking long before the Michael Bloomberg’s of the World began crusading against it, and despite a lack of support in the GOP, he came out strong against the scourge of aids; declaring war on the disease, not the lifestyle of the people who developed it. C. Everett Koop began his career at 15, operating on neighborhood rabbits and cats that his mother would help anesthetize. He eventually became known as one of the best in the country at one delicate procedure: separating conjoined twins. By 1989, when he left office, Koop had become a household word and perhaps the most influential medical figure in the country. In 1981 – 33% of American adults smoked.
When he left, that figure had been cut by a third and it was near impossible to light up in public. Eventually smoking would even be banned in outdoor venues like ball parks and racetracks. As for AIDS - the disease widely attributed to risky sex, primarily in the gay community - it was more or less a death sentence in 1981.
Today - through education programs endorsed by Koop and great new pharmaceutical developments, people infected with HIV, who do not use IV drugs can expect to live an almost normal life span into their 70's or even 80's. Most of us will be living longer, thanks to the tireless efforts of Dr. Koop who checked his politics at the door of the White House. He wasn't about judgment: he was about prevention and a cure - which is what a doctor does - and C Everett Koop was among the best.
