Rear Admiral

Rear Admiral

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...

 Edward Dana Martin (MD) is the former Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). He was appointed to two terms, originally in 1993 and once again in 1997. Martin served as the Secretary's principal advisor on matters related to the military health system, health.mil. The Military Health System (MHS) mission is to provide optimal Health Services in support of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

' military mission. The MHS is a unique partnership of medical educators, medical researchers, and healthcare providers and their support personnel worldwide. This DoD enterprise consists of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs); the medical departments of the Army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

, Navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

, Marine Corps

Marine corps

A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...

, Air Force

Air force

An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...

, Coast Guard

Coast guard

A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...

, and Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...

; the Combatant Command

Unified Combatant Command

A Unified Combatant Command is a United States Department of Defense command that is composed of forces from at least two Military Departments and has a broad and continuing mission. These commands are established to provide effective command and control of U.S. military forces, regardless of...

 surgeons; and TRICARE

TRICARE

TRICARE, formerly known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services , is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. TRICARE provides civilian health benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents,...

 providers (including private sector healthcare providers, hospitals and pharmacies).

Background

A native of Topeka, Kansas

Topeka, Kansas

Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...

, Martin graduated from the University of Kansas

University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...

 and the University of Kansas School of Medicine

University of Kansas School of Medicine

The University of Kansas School of Medicine is a public medical school located on the University of Kansas Medical Center campuses in Kansas City, Kansas and in Wichita, Kansas.The Kansas City campus is located at the University of Kansas Hospital....

.

Dr. Martin arrived at the Pentagon in 1989 after 15 years of executive leadership positions with the Public Health Service. He served as Chief of Staff for C. Everett Koop

C. Everett Koop

Charles Everett Koop, MD is an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as thirteenth Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.-Early years:Koop was born...

, M.D., Surgeon General; Director, Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance; Acting Deputy Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration

Health Resources and Services Administration

The Health Resources and Services Administration , is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in Rockville, Maryland...

; and Director, Bureau of Community Health Services. Dr. Martin was commissioned in the Public Health Service in May 1975 and held the rank of Rear Admiral upon his retirement in April 1998.

After his retirement, Martin joined Science Applications International Corporation

Science Applications International Corporation

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company headquartered in the United States with numerous federal, state, and private sector clients...

 as a Senior Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer

Chief Medical Officer

There are four Chief Medical Officers in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments on health related matters: Her Majesty's Government, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government...

. He is currently the co-founder and Chairman of Martin, Blanck & Associates, a company which he founded along with former Army Surgeon General Ronald R. Blanck

Ronald R. Blanck

Lt. Gen. Ronald R. Blanck, D.O., was the 39th Surgeon General of the United States Army . He is a doctor of osteopathic medicine and is the only such physician ever appointed Surgeon General of the Army...

.

Dr. Martin's previous marriages ended in divorce. Dr. Martin and his current wife Kathi have two sons.