Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams is the acting Surgeon General of the United States.

As surgeon general, she directs operations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, a diverse team of more than 6,700 public health professionals. These men and women fill public health leadership and clinical service roles in the nation’s federal government agencies.

“As my colleague Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams takes over as acting Surgeon General, know that our nation is in capable and compassionate hands,” former US surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in a Facebook post on his resignation.

Trent-Adams received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She became a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2014.

Trent-Adams has held various positions in Health and Human Services, working to improve access to care for poor and underserved communities. As a clinician and administrator, she has had a direct impact on building systems of care to improve public health for marginalized populations domestically and internationally.

Prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General, Trent-Adams was a deputy associate administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources, and Services Administration. She assisted in managing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009-Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The $2.3 billion program funds medical care, treatment, referrals and support services for uninsured and underserved people living with HIV as well as training for healthcare professionals.

Trent-Adams began her career in the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS in 1992. She has published articles, participated in research studies, and presented to a variety of domestic and international organizations and professional groups.

Trent-Adams was a nurse officer in the U.S. Army. She also served as a research nurse at the University of Maryland. Trent-Adams completed two internships in the U.S. Senate, where she focused on the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities and scope of practice for nurses and psychologists. She has served as guest lecturer at the University of Maryland and Hampton University. Her clinical practice was in trauma, oncology, community health, and infectious disease. She currently serves as the chair of the Federal Public Health Nurse Leadership Council, and the Federal Nursing Service Council.