The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps: Fighting the Opioid Crisis Before and After Hours

Summary:
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams and Commissioned Corps officers visit the opioids memorial on the Ellipse and discuss how they can fight the opioid crisis.

By: Judy Sarasohn, HHS (Public Affairs)

Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps take on many different jobs across the federal government, including foreign deployments that deal with life-threatening conditions. But at the end of the day, many of them continue to serve on their own time. Increasingly, they are finding a role to play in fighting the opioid crisis in the communities where they live.

Cmdr. Leo Angelo Gumapas, an engineer working on water systems, and Lt. Cmdr. John Pesce, managing a portfolio of research grants at NIH related to parasite infection, have been spending their off duty hours educating the public about the dangers of opioids and connecting individuals with resources to help prevent addiction.