Among the many achievements of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop was the establishment of the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal (ESM). Created to recognize highly meritorious service or significant contributions to the field of public health, the award was primarily intended to recognize officers in the United States Public Health Service who had a major impact in helping the PHS achieve its mission goals. However, the medal can also be awarded to officers from our nation’s other uniformed services, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who have made laudable contributions to the Office of the Surgeon General.
The obverse of the ESM features the image of a Commissioned Corps officers a Public Health Service nurse tending to a bedridden patient. In a nod to the USPHS’ Naval origins, the design also incorporates a lighthouse shining rays of light on a sailing ship.
Because the ESM is awarded at the sole discretion of the Surgeon General, there is no formal nomination process.