Summary:
RADM Denise Hinton and officers after the Surgeon General Town Hall in the Humphrey Building.
A Message from the Deputy U.S. Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Personal Introduction:
From an early age, I was immersed in a service-oriented military family where values like integrity, respect, and selflessness were paramount. My role models - my father, a retired Chief Master Sergeant with twenty-six years in the U.S. Air Force, and my uncle, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from the U.S. Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War - instilled in me the belief that true leadership is rooted in serving others.
My mother grew up in a small town in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, while my father was raised in Gainesville, Florida during the civil rights era. They both experienced life in segregated communities, yearning for a nation that recognized their worth beyond skin color. Their love story unfolded against this backdrop, and together they raised my brother and me in a military community where diversity, equity, and inclusion were foundational principles. They emphasized the importance of embracing differences and worked tirelessly to shield us from the prejudices they faced. Our experiences living in various states and overseas enriched our lives with lessons from a multicultural community, united by a common goal: to support our service members and each other while they defend our nation.
Inspired by my parents, uncle, and the broader military family, I chose to serve my country as an officer and nurse. After graduating from Florida State School of Nursing, I commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and later transitioned to the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps.
The "Why" Factor:
As the Deputy U.S. Surgeon General of the USPHS, I serve as the career executive leader in supporting the Assistant Secretary of Health and the U.S. Surgeon General in overseeing the operations of the USPHS and ensuring collectively the best evidence-based scientific information is shared with the public. I take immense pride in my role, especially in mentoring others and helping them achieve their potential. I am committed to fostering diversity within our service by working alongside a dedicated team to ensure that DEIA principles guide our actions.
Our corps, one of the eight uniformed services, consists of 5,500 multidisciplinary active-duty and ready reserve officers dedicated to the health and safety of our nation.
Making a Personal Connection:
My journey began as a nurse officer in the U.S. Air Force, where I gained invaluable operational and leadership experience. In 2002, I transitioned to the USPHS Commissioned Corps, taking a position at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to balance my professional responsibilities with family life. I felt privileged to continue serving in uniform, excited by the opportunities available to me, including:
- Delivering essential health care services to underserved populations,
- Deploying for public health emergencies,
- Leading public health programs and policy development,
- Advancing innovations in science.
My experiences in the U.S. Air Force, FDA, and now at HHS have underscored the critical need for DEIA in our actions to fulfill the missions of our nation, department, and communities. At the USPHS, we are dedicated to changing the culture of the service by recruiting and retaining diverse talent, ensuring that our officers are assets to the communities they serve.
As an African American woman, I understand the importance of sharing my success and paving the way for others. While I often find myself the only African American woman in leadership settings, I strive to ensure that my journey can inspire others, particularly in STEM fields. I encourage STEM professionals to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, including emotional intelligence, as they are crucial for leadership success.
Connection to the Strategic Plan:
Our officers are dedicated to serving in rural areas, including the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the Indian Health Service (IHS), and in over eleven operating divisions, providing frontline care where it’s needed most. We prioritize recruitment from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and are committed to increasing representation from Native American/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Black communities, showcasing our dedication to diversity in an inclusive environment that represents the diversity of our nation.
Our service is diverse, with over 40% of officers identifying across various gender identities and ethnic backgrounds. I am proud to be part of a service that reflects this diversity, with significant representation from Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities.
The USPHS framework, "United in Action, Forward in Progress," serves as a comprehensive roadmap for aligning the priority actions of the USPHS Commissioned Corps with the strategic pillars focused on organizational culture, talent retention, officer well-being, career life-cycle management, deployment readiness, infrastructure, and increasing the visibility of the corps.
Achievements & Looking Ahead:
I take pride in our efforts to forge partnerships that provide diverse clinical and non-clinical experiences for our officers, enhancing their ability to support our communities effectively. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing are vital to our success.
Looking ahead, my goal is to continuously strengthen the service, ensuring it is recognized as a uniformed service through advocacy, cultural reform, and increased diversity. Peer-to-peer mentorship is essential in nurturing new officers and empowering seasoned officers to reach their full potential. This includes the leadership, partnership, and support of our civil servants whom we serve alongside for the betterment of public health. The service is part of the 90,000+ staff working at HHS and, and we are committed to fulfilling the mission of the Department and USPHS together.
Closing Remarks:
Our officers bring unique perspectives to their roles, united in their commitment to serving the underserved. I am honored to work alongside them. As the Deputy U.S. Surgeon General, I have the privilege of collaborating with brilliant individuals dedicated to a common purpose. I recognize the weight of this responsibility.
My experiences have underscored the vital role of DEIA in our missions. In the USPHS Commissioned Corps, we are dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion, ensuring our officers are integral to the communities they serve.
Real leadership is about empowering others with a mindset of service and dedication to a greater purpose. This ethos makes the USPHS Commissioned Corps a unique and fulfilling place to work - our collective commitment to public health unites us all.
Rear Admiral Denise Hinton
Deputy U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Department of Health and Human Services
Continuing our DEIA journey
The DEIA journey is a continuous process of learning and improvement. Committing to DEIA is not just the right thing to do—it is the smart thing to do. It makes HHS a stronger federal agency, a more effective leader and partner in advancing the health of the nation, and an attractive home for the nation’s best and brightest talent.
Leadership change stories will evolve as we collaborate across HHS and make shared progress. We will move forward with a focus on continuous improvement and addressing existing and emerging leadership needs.
For questions, resources, or additional information, please email DEIAStrategicPlan@hhs.gov.
