Πριν αναλαβει υφυπουργος Υγειας στην Κυβερνηση Trump, o
Καθηγητής Ιατρικης Δρ. Γεωργιος Σιγκουνας , Ηπειρωτης την καταγωγή,
υπηρετησε ως Καθηγητης Ιατρικης στο Πανεπιστημιο East Carolina
George Sigounas, MS, Ph.D.
Administrator
Health Resources and Services
Administration
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services
Biography
Dr. George Sigounas became
Administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on May 1, 2017. The Health
Resources and Services Administration is the primary Federal agency within the
U.S.Department of Health and Human Services responsible for improving access to
health care for people who are geographically isolated and economically or
medically vulnerable. As Administrator,
Dr. Sigounas oversees the execution
of HRSA’s $11.7 billion annual budget (FY 2019) that is used to expand access
to quality health care through an array of grants to state and local
governments, health care providers and health professions training programs.
Under Dr. Sigounas’ leadership, HRSA has served over 27 million people across
the country through the Health Center Program, reaching more people than ever
before; strengthened the healthcare workforce and connected skilled
professionals to underserved communities, including supporting approximately
12,800 clinicians from the National Health Service Corps and NURSE Corps to
provide medical, dental, and mental health services to over 13 million
Americans; supported public health services for nearly 56 million pregnant
women, mothers, children, and families; provided primary medical care,
medications, and support services to over 535,000 patients diagnosed with HIV
in the United States through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – 86% of Ryan
White Program patients receiving HIV medical care are virally suppressed, well
above the national average of 60%; advanced Departmental priorities, including
addressing the opioid epidemic through the integration of behavioral health
into primary care and HIV care settings, expansion of the behavioral health
workforce, increased access to evidence-based prevention and treatment
services, and health in rural communities.
Before coming to HRSA, Dr. Sigounas
spent 23 years as a Professor of Medicine at East Carolina University’s Brody
School of Medicine in Greenville, NC where he directed the Cellular Therapies
Clinical Unit, which provided the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program with the
cells used to transplant cancer patients. From 1987 to 1994, Dr. Sigounas was a
scientist and researcher at the National Institutes of Health and the Naval Medical
Center. Through the
years, his research efforts have resulted in several U.S. and international patents as
well as peer-reviewed publications.
For more than 25 years, Dr. Sigounas
taught and trained a broad spectrum of students, including undergraduates,
graduates, medical students, residents and fellows. He was also a mentor to
numerous junior faculty and worked collaboratively with many clinicians and
scientists. Dr. Sigounas has been a member of several professional societies
and served on numerous University, National and International committees,
including Academia, Federal Government and Private Sector.
Dr. Sigounas earned his Bachelor of
Science degree in biology from the University of Patras in Greece, a Master of
Science in physiology and biology from Northeastern University, and a Ph.D. in
cell biology and physiology from Boston
University.
