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University of Pittsburgh

RESUSCITATION RESEARCII CENTER
3434 Fifth Avenue - 2nd floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 624-6735

September 18, 1981

Senator ,Orrin Hatch, Chairman
Committee on Labor and Human Resources
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.   20501

Dear Senator Hatch:

RE:  Nomination of Dr. C. Everett Koop for
        Surgeon General

   This letter is in support of Dr. Koop's appointment
as Surgeon General.
physician,       Although I am not a public heiilth
       but rather a clinical teacher, resusci tat ion
researcher and initiator of programs, I believe I have
acquired some understanding of medical leadership roles
in government, through 25 years of work with national
commissions and committees, particularly those concerning
emergency medical services (EMS).  These included the
White House Interagency Committee on EMS and the NRS-
NRC Committee on EMS.  I testified about EMS before
Senator Kennedy's subcommittee on health, and 1 was
author-editor of a book on "public health considerations
of critical care medicine".

  My views on political and social. issues, srlch as
abortion, `religion, and "letting die" severely malformed
infants -- differ strongly from those of Dr. Koop.   While
he is considered to be a conservative, I have been labeled
as a liberal.  Nevertheless,  I feel confident that he
will not permit his personal "religious" views influence
policies and DHHS administrative decisions.

  Ever since my work with `Dr. Koop in 1952 in Phila-
delphia (he as surgeon and I as anesthesiologist) I
have had off-and-on indirect knowledge about his work.
He,is one of our country's few leading clinicians who
are not only fair, kind and compassionate, but also

PITTSBURGH. PA. 15260


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highly motivated toward improving t-he overall health
of the population.  He is a generous team leader.   lie
seems equally interested in the delivery of medical
care as well as the prevention of disease and acc.idents.
Although I am not qualified to judge his public health
experiences, as outlined by the DHIfS General Corrnci 1,
they suggest to me that he can make others join forces
to help initiate and sustain needed new programs.

   Some leading public health specialists have concerns
about Dr. Koop's lack of formal training in public health.
Some other physicians in such leading roles in the past,
who have had no formal public health training, were
highly effective.  PhysiciaAs in leading plrblic health
posts of emergency and critical car-c in some other coun-
tries have been more sr~cccssfu1 in implementing proven
new programs than we have been in the llnited States.
Some of this I attribute to the-custom of such lenders-
administrators to continue working part-time as clinicians
and thereby not to lose touch with the real world.
Obviously the Surgeon General's associates and team
members must include individuals with specialized train-
ing and experience in all pertinent areas of public
health, with emphasis on preventive medicine.   For the
position of Surgeon General, however, in my opinion,
being a good physician, a responsive understanding
leader,
by Dr.  and an administrator with vision--as exemplified
     Koop--

training.

seems more important than specialized

Peter Safar, M.D.
Distinguished Professor of
Resuscitation Medicine
Director, Resuscitation
Research Center

Wgh