MEDIA ADVISORY
ATTENTION: Reporters covering public health and health policy

WHAT
"National and Global Health: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities," a public colloquium by Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General (2002-2006), sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health. Carmona will discuss the healthcare outlook for the United States and the world, including existing and emerging health issues, the importance of a global approach to wellness, and the cultural transformation that will be needed to improve the health of people worldwide.

WHEN
3-4:45 p.m., Thursday, April 3. The session includes a 30-minute Q&A after the talk.

WHERE
Lipman Room, 8th floor of Barrows Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. (To reach the Lipman Room, take elevators up to the 7th floor of Barrows Hall, then follow signs to the stairs or elevator to continue to the 8th floor.)

WHO
Carmona was nominated by President George Bush in 2002 and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate as the 17th U.S. Surgeon General. During his statutory four-year term, he focused on increasing prevention, eliminating health disparities and improving health literacy. Among the far-ranging actions he took during his tenure was the release of a landmark report on the hazards of secondhand smoke, which helped lead to the passage of smoke-free legislation in hundreds of communities worldwide.

Before becoming surgeon general, Carmona, a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Army's Special Forces, had held a wide variety of positions, including nurse, trauma surgeon, professor of surgery, hospital CEO, deputy sheriff and highly decorated SWAT team leader. In 2006, Carmona became vice chairman of Canyon Ranch, one of the nation's leading health and wellness companies, and president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute. He is also the Mel and Enid Zuckerman Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona's Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Note: To read more about this and other UC Berkeley news, visit the Berkeley News Center at: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu.