WASHINGTON — The American Medical Association (AMA) presented Major Gen. (ret.) Paul Friedrichs, M.D., FACS, former director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR), with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service. This award recognizes Dr. Friedrichs for a career dedicated to health and health care readiness for servicemen and women, health care supply chain resiliency, and preventing the next big public health threat.
As the inaugural director of OPPR, Dr. Friedrichs advised President Biden and coordinated U.S. government efforts to enhance the United States and its partners’ ability to prepare for and respond to pandemics and other biologic events.
“Through his career in medicine, the military and public service, Dr. Friedrichs has touched lives in ways big and small,” said AMA Board Chair Michael Suk, M.D., JD, MPH, MBA. “He has treated patients in combat zones and worked to improve the quality of military health care. He has dedicated time to safeguarding our supply chain and leading the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness & Response Policy. And on a more personal level, as an AMA delegate and physician leader, he has always been generous with his time and wisdom, making space especially for young physicians eager to learn from him. it is an honor to present Dr. Paul Friedrichs with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service.”
Before being named OPPR director, Dr. Friedrichs served as special assistant to the president and senior director for global health security and biodefense at the White House National Security Council. He previously served as Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon, where he coordinated all issues related to health services, provided medical advice to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as medical adviser to the Department of Defense (DoD) Covid-19 Task Force.
In this role, he coordinated all issues related to health services to include operational medicine, force health protection and readiness among the combatant commands, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the services. He also served as U.S. representative to the NATO Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services. Dr. Friedrichs is an expert on major domestic and international responses to natural disasters and biologic outbreaks, on global health diplomacy and on health systems.
An Air Force veteran with 37 years of service, Dr. Friedrichs saved lives in combat zones, expanded the Department of Defense’s global medical evacuation system, and organized effective response to both domestic and international natural disasters and biological outbreaks. As the chair of the Military Health System’s Joint Task Force on High Reliability Organizations, he led joint and interagency teams that improved the quality of military health care and received the “Best Air Force Hospital” distinction. He has been awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit three Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Bronze Star, and has been named a Chevalier in the French Ordre National du Mérite.
Dr. Friedrichs earned his B.S. in Biology from Tulane University and his M.D. from the Uniformed Services University.
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The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
