RADM Christopher Halliday
Chief Dental Officer, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Assistant Surgeon General and Chief Dental Officer, Indian Health Service
As chief dental officer, RADM Christopher Halliday leads Commissioned Corps dental professional affairs, advising the Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps dentists. He serves as principal dental consultant for all IHS dental clinics and as advisor to the director of IHS on all matters concerning oral health. He says, "I am part of a team that provides treatment to entire communities." The IHS provides health care services and advocacy for more than 2.5 million American Indians and Alaska Natives.
During his career, RADM Halliday has had the opportunity to live among, work with, and serve culturally diverse populations. He explains, "One of the most extraordinary discoveries about my job is living with and working with people who I knew virtually nothing about prior to joining the Commissioned Corps. I have learned so much from each of the communities I have served."
RADM Halliday joined the Corps in 1988 as an IHS dental officer in Alaska, serving 8 Inupiat Eskimo villages ranging in population from 60 to more than 600 individuals in an area covering 88,000 square miles. His assignment allowed him to get to know his patients and their communities. For instance, after treating several children at the Point Lay dental clinic, their grandmother invited RADM Halliday to a traditional dinner at their home. "I talked with this family until 2 o'clock in the morning, and their kindness and genuine interest showed their appreciation for my help. I remember this like it happened last month even though it was more than 17 years ago," he says. RADM Halliday went on to lead IHS Navajo area dental services in New Mexico and Arizona, and then to the Health Resources and Services Administration in Maryland to manage dental grant programs.
In October 2001, RADM Halliday was deployed to the New York City Chief Medical Examiner's Office for the most difficult and valuable experience of his career, using forensic dentistry to identify victims of 9/11. He says, "While the task was emotionally taxing, we helped family members bring some sense of closure to the horrific tragedy. Meeting with members of the fire and police departments and their families was personally and professionally rewarding. Every single person I met thanked me for our service."
Like many of his fellow officers, RADM Halliday found his calling in the Commissioned Corps. He says, "The satisfaction I've had serving in the Corps goes far beyond my original expectations. I've gained a lifetime of memories that I will forever value and cherish. I have not had a moment of regret in more than 19 years of active duty service."
RADM Halliday received a bachelor of arts degree in the combined studies of biology, psychology and anthropology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1983, a doctor of dental surgery degree from Marquette University in 1987, and a master of public health degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 2002.
He likes restoring automobiles, downhill skiing, mountain bike riding, traveling, reading, and continuing his studies of anthropology.
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