LT Peat contributed to the Commission Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) mission in multiple ways. She has been the Planning Chief, Rapid Deployment Force (RDF)-2 from 2007 to the present, and was Deputy Planning Chief, RDF-2 from April 2006 to May 2007. She is currently a member of Surgeon General’s Honor Corps and has served on the Honor Corps since 2002. She is an Health Services Officer-Basic and Applied Science Professional Advisory Group (HSO-BAS PAG) Volunteer for the Communications Sub-Committee, serving from 2005 to the present, is a non-voting member of the Junior Officer Advisory Group (JOAG), and is an Associate Recruiter, serving in this capacity almost since joining the Corps. She has been the Co-Chair for the Health Services Category Day (Planning Representative) for the 2006 USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium, a Co-Chair for Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Project Management Communications Committee, serving from 2003 to 2007, and a Co-Chair and member for FDA’s Project Management Forum Planning Committee, serving from 2005 to 2007. She has participated in multiple deployments, to include those for hurricanes Katrina and Rita; the Washington, DC, lead screening; and those for TOPOFF (Top Officials) I and III exercises. Her roles performed during these deployments were those typically performed by officers of much more senior rank. LT Peat has received numerous citations for her efforts, including but not limited to the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal.
Outside of the Corps, she has served in multiple roles for the Adult Health and Development Program, University of Maryland. Currently, she serves as the Director of the program. She has also completed approximately two-thirds of her Doctorate in Public Health, a degree undertaken to further both career and the Corps’ mission.
LT Peat provided superior leadership well above and beyond the expectations of an officer of her rank and time in service. Her efforts directly impacting the Corps in her multiple voluntary roles have accomplished the following:
As Deputy Chief and Planning Chief, RDF-2, she is responsible for all planning functions including team activation, mobilization, intelligence gathering, personnel and resource planning, development of incident action plan, training and demobilization for the PHS-2 Rapid Deployment Force. She supervises one O-5 officer, two O-4 officers, one O-3 officer, and one O-2 officer in carrying out the above duties. An example of her efforts may be observed in the successfully organized joint training for 150 officers on ‘Medical Response to Radiation Emergencies’ at Camp Bullis, TX, ‘Natural Disaster Training’ which she planned and aided in all aspects.
As a member of the Surgeon General’s Honor Corps, she has participated in and often led the Honor Corp’s during numerous Corps functions. Her efforts for the Honor Corps have led to award of the Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medal.
As a non-voting member of the HSO-BAS PAG Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee she has obtained articles written by Corps officers, obtaining permission from publishers, and posting of articles on the HS-BAS PAG Web site. As a non-voting member of the JOAG professional development subcommittee she has participated in the enhancement of career development of junior officers in the Corps.
Her efforts for the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD) teams for the Hurricane Katrina deployment as the Planning Chief for three teams in Meridian and Gulfport, and OFRD deployment to the Secretary’s Operation Center as a liaison officer for the 2005 TOPOFF III exercise demonstrated her dedication to duty and overall excellence, far beyond what is normally expected of a junior officer.
LT Peat excelled in the performance of her normal duties, as follows:
In her current position as a Reviewer for FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, her superior performance in review of in vitro diagnostic devices and assays has led to recognition as a fully independent reviewer in approximately 8 months.
In her former position at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, she impacted all levels of that Center, aiding in drafting and implementing policy for a diverse group of scientists involved in every type of activity performed.
Additional accomplishments outside of work or Corps volunteer activities include her duties as the Director and Adjunct Professor, Adult Health and Development Program, University of Maryland (UMD), College Park, MD. She is responsible for all aspects of the program, including but not limited to: Program coordination, training content and policy in aspects of gerontological and disabled adult health issues, supervision of training for 140 participants, establishment and maintenance of each semester’s schedule, Maintaining members (elders) personal records, facilitation of weekly senior staff training and small group meetings, supervision of senior staff/students (20-30 personnel), establishment and implementation of short- and long-range program goals, objectives, policies, and operating procedures, assurance of safe work practices, and coordination with UMD Board Members to secure corporate, foundation, and individual monetary and personnel support of the program.
LT Peat’s actions had and continue to have a direct impact on public health by improving the readiness deployability, and efficiency of PHS-2 and all Corps deployment teams, service and dedication to the Corps, and exemplary work performance in a field directly impacting the public health of the Nation.