Day 1



The 2013 July OSG Interns had a great first day! ENS Draube, LT Hager, CAPT Tosatto, CAPT Reed, and LCDR Payne met with us and gave us an overview of the Public Health Service and Medical Reserve Corps. We also learned their personal stories and how they came to the PHS. After this briefing we took the Metro into downtown DC to the Health and Human Service Building. This building houses the Secretary's Operation Center (SOC) where the SOC coordinates planning and responses to events, such as Presidential Inaugurations, as well as responses to disasters and terrorism. The SOC was developed after 9/11. It was very interesting to learn how theFederal government response has changed post 9/11 and post Katrina. The SOC monitors many types of social media and TV to keep aware of what is going on. The blue wall behind us in the picture is actually a large screen that the SOC staff uses to project data during an event or incident. Next we met with Ted Kennedy, the Chief of Response Operations. He is responsible for obtaining resources and deploying people during disasters. He also has the resources to move victims from the area for medical care.

We finished our day in DC by getting to visit the man who will become the Acting Surgeon General at midnight tomorrow! RADM Lushniak, along with soon to be Assistant Surgeon General and Chief Pharmacy Officer RADM Giberson, welcomed us to the PHS and shared some of their backgrounds and experiences.