Sylvia Trent-Adams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvia Trent-Adams
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| Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health | |
| In office January 2, 2019 – September 30, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy Surgeon General of the United States | |
| In office October 25, 2015 – January 2, 2019 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Vivek Murthy |
| Succeeded by | Erica Schwartz |
| Surgeon General of the United States Acting |
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| In office April 21, 2017 – September 5, 2017 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Vivek Murthy |
| Succeeded by | Jerome Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 15, 1965 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | Hampton University (BS) University of Maryland, Baltimore (MS) University of Maryland, Baltimore County (PhD) |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army USPHS Commissioned Corps |
| Years of service | 1987–1992 (Army) 1992–2020 (Public Health Service) |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
Sylvia Trent-Adams (born June 15, 1965) is a retired U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rear admiral. She held important roles in public health. From 2019 to 2020, she was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health. Before that, she served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States from 2015 to 2019.
Trent-Adams also served as the acting Surgeon General of the United States for a few months in 2017. She retired from the U.S. Public Health Service in 2020, after more than 33 years of service in uniform.
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Education and Early Career
Sylvia Trent-Adams studied nursing in college. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Hampton University. She then received a Master of Science degree in nursing and health policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Later, she earned a doctorate in nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
After college, she joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. She served as an officer for five years. During this time, she worked in the cancer unit at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Public Health Work
Trent-Adams has worked in many different positions within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Her main goal was to help people in poor or underserved communities get better healthcare. She worked as a nurse and an administrator. Her efforts directly helped build healthcare systems that improved public health for many people.
Before working for the Surgeon General, Trent-Adams was a leader in the HIV/AIDS Bureau. This bureau helps people living with HIV/AIDS. She helped manage a large program that provided care for uninsured people with HIV. This program also trained healthcare workers.
Trent-Adams joined the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in 1992. She has written many articles and given presentations to various groups. Before her time in the Public Health Service, she was a nurse in the U.S. Army. She also worked as a research nurse at the University of Maryland. She completed internships in the U.S. Senate, focusing on healthcare policies. She has also been a guest lecturer at universities. Her nursing experience includes working with trauma, cancer, community health, and infectious diseases. She has also led important nursing councils.
Serving as Acting Surgeon General
On April 21, 2017, Sylvia Trent-Adams was named the acting Surgeon General of the United States. She took over from Vivek Murthy. When she took on this role, Trent-Adams became the second person who was not a medical doctor to serve as Surgeon General. She was also the second nurse to hold this important position. She was replaced by Jerome Adams on September 5, 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Sylvia Trent-Adams has received many awards for her service. In 2017, she was given the Florence Nightingale Medal by the Red Cross. This is the highest international award a nurse can receive.
Personal Life
Sylvia Trent-Adams grew up on a farm in Concord, Virginia. She graduated from Appomattox County High School in 1983. She is married to Dennis Adams and they have two daughters.
