The Pima County Sheriff's Department is pleased to welcome Dr. Richard Carmona back to his position as the Sheriff’s Surgeon and SWAT team member.  Dr. Carmona was appointed Surgeon General of the United States by President George W. Bush in 2002. At the end of his term this year, he returned to his home in Tucson.  Having maintained his association with the Department through the years that he served in Washington, D.C., it was a natural fit for him to return to his previous duties. 

Richard Carmona was born in New York City in 1949.  In 1967, he enlisted in the United States Army.  He was a member of Special Forces and is a decorated Vietnam veteran. After leaving the Army, Dr. Carmona received his Associates degree from Bronx Community College of the City University of New York.  He later attended the University of California, San Francisco and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1977 and his medical degree in 1979.  He was recognized as the top graduate in his class. In 1998, he earned his Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Arizona.

When appointed as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Carmona was serving as a Clinical Professor in Public Health, Surgery and Family and Community Medicine at the University of Arizona.  He was medical director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Unit, the attending surgeon at the University of Arizona Campus Student Health Center, and Department Surgeon and SWAT team member of the Pima County Sheriff's Department.  He will resume these duties with the Department.

Dr. Carmona is a highly decorated member of the Sheriff’s Department.  In 1988, he was awarded the Sheriff’s Department's Purple Heart for injuries sustained in a SWAT situation.  In 1992, he participated in the rescue of the single survivor of a helicopter crash in Graham County, an action that inspired a made-for-TV movie and for which he received the Medal of Merit.  He was a member of the SWAT Team in 1999 when they were recognized with a Sheriff’s Unit Commendation for actions related to a lengthy hostage stand-off that resulted in the safe recovery of a baby and the apprehension of the suspect.  Finally, Dr. Carmona was presented with the Purple Heart and the Department’s most prestigious award, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in 2000 when he confronted a dangerous, armed homicide suspect on a busy Tucson street.  His file contains numerous letters of commendation and appreciation, including then-US Attorney for the District of Arizona, Janet Napolitano. 

In addition to his departmental awards, Dr. Carmona has been recognized at the local and national level for his many accomplishments in law enforcement and the medical field. Those awards include: Physician of the Year in 1992, presented by the Pima County Medical Society; and the National Tactical Officer’s Association John Kolman Award for Excellence in 1993 for his achievements, including development of the nationally recognized Tactical Emergency Medical Support program. In 2000, he was named one of 10 “Top Cops” by the National Association of Police Organizations and in May 2002 he was honored by the University of Arizona by being named the Alumnus of the Year.

Recently, Dr. Carmona was named Vice-Chairman of Canyon Ranch.  He will serve as Chief Executive Officer of Canyon Ranch’s Health Division and will work as President of the nonprofit Canyon Ranch Institute.  His duties will include working with other corporate officers to further the integrative medical approach that the wellness company has promoted for 27 years.  He is a firm supporter of initiatives that help people understand how to take personal responsibility for their health habits in order to improve their overall quality of life.  In fact, he will be overseeing a new Pima County Sheriff’s Department Wellness Program in cooperation with Canyon Ranch.

Dr. Carmona will also have the opportunity to serve in another venue that will allow him to improve the lives of Southern Arizonans.  He was recently presented with the first Distinguished Professorship in Public Health at the University of Arizona’s Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.  In this capacity, he will work within the University of Arizona, Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion to provide health education and access to typically underserved populations in Arizona and the Southwest. 

It is a very exciting time for Tucson to have the opportunity to benefit from the variety of expertise that Dr. Carmona brings to the region.  With his vast life experiences, including his tenure as Surgeon General, he will be linked to the health community on an international scale.  His work with the Sheriff’s Department will allow him to integrate the medical and law enforcement fields in a manner that will serve the growing population of Pima County.