Jesse Leonard Steinfeld
Encyclopedia
Jesse Leonard Steinfeld is an American physician
and public health
official. He was appointed the eleventh Surgeon General of the United States
from 1969 to 1973.
suburb of West Aliquippa
. He received his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh
in 1945 and his M.D. degree from Western Reserve University (now called Case Western Reserve University
) in 1949. Steinfeld then completed an internship at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles
and residencies at the Veterans Administration Hospital
in Long Beach, California
and at the University of California, San Francisco
in the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology
.
in medicine
at the University of California, San Francisco in 1952. From 1954 to 1958, he served as director of the Radioisotope Laboratory of the National Cancer Institute
, National Institutes of Health
, and simultaneously held an appointment as instructor in medicine at the George Washington University
School of Medicine. In 1959, he joined the faculty of the University of Southern California
School of Medicine as assistant professor
of medicine, rising through the ranks to associate professor in 1963 and professor in 1967. His research
interests focused on cancer
.
In 1968, Steinfeld returned to the National Cancer Institute as Associate Director for Programs. The following year, he was made Deputy Director of the Institute. That same year, he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs, and Surgeon General beginning 18 December 1969.
A reorganization of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1968 had transferred the leadership of the Public Health Service to the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs, so Steinfeld no longer had the line management
authority of Surgeons General in the pre-1968 period. During his tenure
, there was an effort to do away with the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
, and a 1971 report made such a recommendation. The report also called the position of Surgeon General "an organizational anomaly," thus calling into question the need for such a position. Steinfeld spoke on behalf of the internal opposition to the report, and thanks to strong support for the Corps and the Surgeon General on the part of certain members of the United States Congress
, the recommendations of the report were not implemented.
During Steinfeld's tenure as Surgeon General, two important new Public Health Service programs were established, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
and the National Health Service Corps
. As a specialist in the field of cancer, Steinfeld also no doubt welcomed the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, which enhanced the ability of the Public Health Service to combat this deadly disease.
At the beginning of the second Richard Nixon
administration, Steinfeld resigned as Surgeon General effective 30 January 1973. He then served as Director of the Mayo Clinic
Comprehensive Cancer Center and as Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Medical School
(1973-1974). Following that, Steinfeld was Professor of Medicine at the University of California-Irvine and Chief of Medicine at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California from 1974 to 1976. He then served as Dean
and Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine of the Medical College of Virginia from 1976 to 1983. Steinfeld became President
of the Medical College of Georgia
in 1983, a position that he held until his retirement
in 1987.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
official. He was appointed the eleventh Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States
The Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
from 1969 to 1973.
Early years
Steinfeld was born in the Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
suburb of West Aliquippa
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
. He received his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1945 and his M.D. degree from Western Reserve University (now called Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
) in 1949. Steinfeld then completed an internship at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and residencies at the Veterans Administration Hospital
Veterans Administration Hospital
Veterans Administration Hospital or Veterans Administration Medical Center is a term used to refer to one of the medical facilities operated by the Veterans Health Administration, a division of the U.S...
in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and at the University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
in the Laboratory of Experimental Oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
.
Career
Steinfeld became instructorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at the University of California, San Francisco in 1952. From 1954 to 1958, he served as director of the Radioisotope Laboratory of the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
, National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, and simultaneously held an appointment as instructor in medicine at the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
School of Medicine. In 1959, he joined the faculty of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
School of Medicine as assistant professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of medicine, rising through the ranks to associate professor in 1963 and professor in 1967. His research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
interests focused on cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
In 1968, Steinfeld returned to the National Cancer Institute as Associate Director for Programs. The following year, he was made Deputy Director of the Institute. That same year, he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs, and Surgeon General beginning 18 December 1969.
A reorganization of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1968 had transferred the leadership of the Public Health Service to the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs, so Steinfeld no longer had the line management
Line management
Line management is a business term to describe the administration of activities that contribute directly to the output of products or services. In a corporate hierarchy a "line manager" holds authority in a vertical 'line' , and/or over a particular product line...
authority of Surgeons General in the pre-1968 period. During his tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
, there was an effort to do away with the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the federal uniformed service of the United States Public Health Service and is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States....
, and a 1971 report made such a recommendation. The report also called the position of Surgeon General "an organizational anomaly," thus calling into question the need for such a position. Steinfeld spoke on behalf of the internal opposition to the report, and thanks to strong support for the Corps and the Surgeon General on the part of certain members of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, the recommendations of the report were not implemented.
During Steinfeld's tenure as Surgeon General, two important new Public Health Service programs were established, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the United States’ federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S...
and the National Health Service Corps
National Health Service Corps
The National Health Service Corps is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, division of Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Clinician Recruitment and Service....
. As a specialist in the field of cancer, Steinfeld also no doubt welcomed the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971, which enhanced the ability of the Public Health Service to combat this deadly disease.
At the beginning of the second Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
administration, Steinfeld resigned as Surgeon General effective 30 January 1973. He then served as Director of the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
Comprehensive Cancer Center and as Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Medical School
Mayo Medical School
Mayo Medical School is a part of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States. It grants degrees in medicine, and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
(1973-1974). Following that, Steinfeld was Professor of Medicine at the University of California-Irvine and Chief of Medicine at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California from 1974 to 1976. He then served as Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
and Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine of the Medical College of Virginia from 1976 to 1983. Steinfeld became President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Medical College of Georgia
Medical College of Georgia
Georgia Health Sciences University formerly known as, and now home of the, Medical College of Georgia , is a public academic health center, with its main campus located in the Medical District of Augusta, Georgia. It is the smallest of four research universities in the University System of Georgia...
in 1983, a position that he held until his retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 1987.