Former Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force demonstrated tremendous leadership on front lines of COVID-19 response
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation will bestow its highest honor to a physician-scientist and innovator whose career has been dedicated to improving public health and medicine — and whose public service during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed mightily to America’s health and recovery. Brett P. Giroir, MD, is the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Patient Care Award and will accept the award at the 24th Annual NACDS Foundation Dinner on November 30, 2022, in New York City.
Dr. Giroir served as the 16th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps from February 2018 to January 2021. In 2019, he also served as acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner. Dr. Giroir currently serves as chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors for Altesa BioSciences, Inc.
From 2020 to 2021, Dr. Giroir served additionally as U.S. representative to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization within the U.S. Department of State. A member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the national lead for testing and diagnostics, he was instrumental in helping to deliver equitable access to important COVID-19-related care services.
In making the announcement, NACDS Foundation President Sara Roszak said, “We are thrilled to recognize Dr. Giroir and his outstanding public service during a time of great need for our country. A distinguished leader, Dr. Giroir was at the forefront of the nation’s COVID-19 response, and he continues work to advance health and wellness for all. We thank our benefactors for their longstanding support of the NACDS Foundation’s community-based research priorities and programmatic efforts.”
Dr. Giroir has served in numerous leadership positions in the federal government and academia.
He was the first physician to be appointed an Office Director at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and he led the Blue-Ribbon Panel for the Veterans Choice Act Reform of the Veterans Affairs Health System. His academic career included service as professor and executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Texas A&M Health Science Center, vice chancellor for the Texas A&M University System — and prior to that — tenured professor, and holder of two endowed chairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health in Dallas, TX.
Dr. Giroir has served on numerous Boards, including the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the MD Anderson Cancer Center Moonshot Program, and the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan.
Of note, Dr. Giroir has received numerous awards including the Tip of the Spear Federal Healthcare Leadership Award, and the Secretary of HHS Award for Distinguished Service, to name a few.
Dr. Giroir earned his A.B. in Biology from Harvard University and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He completed his post-doctoral training in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was a NIH Pediatric Scientist Training Fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Bruce Beutler.
His newest book, Memoir of a Pandemic: Fighting COVID from the Front Lines to the White House, is slated to be published in early 2023.
The NACDS Foundation Dinner presents an opportunity to support the NACDS Foundation, celebrating its shared commitment and the collaboration that makes it possible. The NACDS Foundation funds groundbreaking research, educational programs and philanthropic initiatives designed to enhance health outcomes, foster equity, and advance community and public health. Also, the NACDS Foundation Scholarship Program provides grants to schools and colleges of pharmacy for innovative educational programs.
Last month, the NACDS Foundation announced that renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will headline the NACDS Foundation Dinner.
Additionally, the NACDS Foundation is currently accepting applications for community impact project proposals that seek to improve inequities, increase access to care for underserved populations and advance public health. Applications in response to the Request for Proposals are due Oct. 27 at 11:59 p.m. EST through an online submission portal.
More information is available on the websites of the NACDS Foundation and of the NACDS Foundation Dinner.
A photo is available for use by the media.
