Dr. John Agwunobe is the federal official in charge of the US Public Health SErvie Commission Corps and of coordinating the nation's response to pandemic influenza. At least he will be until the end of this month.
Announcement from Department of Health and Human Services:
For Immediate Release Contact: HHS Press OfficeAugust 7, 2007 202/690-6343
STATEMENT FROM HHS SECRETARY MIKE LEAVITT ON THE RESIGNATION OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH DR. JOHN AGWUNOBI
I regret to announce the resignation of Dr. John Agwunobi as Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) and an Admiral in the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps effective September 4th, 2007.
Since joining HHS in 2005, Dr. Agwunobi has been a passionate voice for advancing the health care of all Americans. His leadership, counsel and expertise have contributed greatly to increasing American's awareness and preparedness for pandemic influenza, encouraging adoption of healthier lifestyles and leading the renewal of the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
Dr. Agwunobi has distinguished himself through the energy and commitment with which he has approached every task at HHS. I will miss him personally and professionally and wish him well in his future endeavors.
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Announcement from Wal-Mart:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sarah Clark, Wal-Mart
1-800-331-0085
Dr. John Agwunobi to join Wal-Mart as Senior Vice President and President for the Professional Services Division
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Tuesday, August 7, 2007 --Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is pleased to announce that Dr. John Agwunobi, current Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and an Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, has been named Senior Vice President and President for the Professional Services Division for Wal-Mart in the U.S. effective September 4.
Dr. Agwunobi will oversee the company's health and wellness business unit including pharmacies, vision centers and health care clinics. He is the country's expert on public health, and he will bring new perspective, diverse talents and tremendous expertise to our company in his new role.
He will report to Bill Simon, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Wal-Mart Stores U.S.
"John is the country's expert on public health, and I look forward to his contributions in furthering Wal-Mart's health and wellness efforts," said Simon. "He will bring new perspective, diverse talents and tremendous expertise to our company in his new role."
Added Dr. Agwunobi, "Wal-Mart touches many lives in many communities and this position provides me with a new opportunity to reach people in the places where they live, work and shop. I am very excited to join the Wal-Mart team."
Dr. Agwunobi, also a pediatrician, is a seasoned public health professional with experience in health care delivery, managed care and health care policy. As Assistant Secretary for Health, he was responsible for disease prevention, health promotion, women and minority health efforts, the reduction of health disparities, the fight against HIV/AIDS, pandemic influenza planning and vaccine preventable disease initiatives.
Prior to his current position, Dr. Agwunobi served as Florida's Secretary of Health and State Health Officer from October 2001 to September 2005. In this role, he confronted many public health challenges, including leading the state's public health and medical response to four major hurricanes, led the call for a healthier Florida, managed the response to the nation's first-ever intentional anthrax attack, and guided Florida's nationally-recognized efforts to protect the state against bioterrorism.
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Farewell, Agwunobi. Don't the door hit you on the ass on the way out.
Such restraint, Revere. ;-)
"Wal-Mart touches many lives in many communities".... Well, Dr. John, do you care to elaborate on just HOW WalMart touches those lives? Figured not. I guess my only other question is exactly WHEN he started working for WalMart, if you follow my drift...
One down and a whole lot more to go. The loss of so many key folks in pandemic planning at the top of the DHHS will cripple our response until the turnover is complete and the new folks have settled into their positions (around June 2009).
Selecting high-level civil servants on the basis of ideology rather than merit as has been the practice of this administration and will hobble government during the turnover time at all levels and in every department. All field-grade Commissioned Corps officers promoted during this period will be scrutinized for fitness and many will be found wanting. The Com Corps leadership below the appointee rank will be decimated by this process.
This is why the CC system was setup in the first place, to prevent this abuse and its consequence. We have suffered under this policy for 7 years and will continue to suffer even more as the new administration roots out those promoted based upon ideology rather than merit.
It could not happen at a worse time. In the end, as long as the new administration returns to the merit based system of promotions, it will be for the best but in the short-run will result in increased inefficiency and unresponsiveness.
Grattan Woodson, MD
Good scoop, gang!
Additional inside baseball info on the Agwunobi resignation can be found at my blogsite:
www.scottmcpherson.net
what's his salary ?
Actually, I'd have preferred that comment had been included.
Through his sometimes manager, Mark Abdoo (himself discussed in an interesting article here, another of Agwunobi's interests was fighting against destruction of smallpox virus stocks.
Sadly, Abdoo has not gone with Agwunobi or with Steiger. But we can hope for more departures...
I saw Dr. John Agwunobi testify to Congress in 2005. I don't care what his CV says... I think he got his medical degree by mail order. He couldn't answer the questions and the other Doctor from the CDC had to answer for him. At one point in the hearing, Senator Arlen Spector asked a question about something Agwunobi said in his written testimony about the money that congress would be allocating. It was something about Congress not showing "good faith". It struck a real sour note.
I did a search on Agwunobi because of my suspicions about him. It turned out that he was the medical examiner on the first case of anthrax in Florida. Another sour note.
Agwunobi supposedly got his medical degree in Nigeria. Another sour note.
I did a search on Nigeria and found that Chevron has a biomedical research facility there for water born diseases. Another sour note.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/results/leadership/bio_857.html