Dr. Joseph Thompson
Biography
Dr. Joseph Thompson has served as the Chief Health Officer of Arkansas since 2005. Under Act 384 of 2007, the Arkansas legislature abolished that position and created the post of Surgeon General. While assuming that role, Thompson will continue to serve as director of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, which supports public- and private-sector efforts to improve health.
Board-certified in both pediatrics and preventive medicine, Thompson
maintains a pediatric practice at Arkansas Children's Hospital and serves on
the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is one
of the architects of the state's Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act that led to
Arkansas becoming one of only a handful of states to dedicate all funds from
the Master Settlement Agreement to health-related programs.
Thompson, a graduate of Hendrix College in Conway, received his medical
degree from UAMS, and earned a Master of Public Health degree from the
University of North Carolina
