As Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral (RADM) Sylvia Trent-Adams advises and supports the Surgeon General regarding operations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and in communicating the best available scientific information to advance the health of the nation. She has served as the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS since November 2013. In this role, she advises the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps nurse professionals.

RADM Trent-Adams has held various positions in HHS, working to improve access to care for poor and underserved communities. As a clinician and administrator, she has had a direct impact on building systems of care to improve public health for marginalized populations domestically and internationally.

Prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General, RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams was the Deputy Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). She assisted in managing the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009 (Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program). The $2.3 billion program funds medical care, treatment, referrals and support services for uninsured and underserved people living with HIV disease as well as training for health care professionals.

RADM Trent-Adams began her career in the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS in 1992. She has published numerous articles, participated in research studies, and presented to a variety of domestic and international organizations and professional groups. Prior to joining the USPHS, RADM Trent-Adams was a nurse officer in the U.S. Army. She also served as a research nurse at the University of Maryland. RADM Trent-Adams also completed two internships in the U.S. Senate where she focused on the prospective payment system for skilled nursing facilities and scope of practice for nurses and psychologists. She has served as guest lecturer at the University of Maryland and Hampton University. Her clinical practice was in trauma, oncology, community health, and infectious disease. She currently serves as the Chair of the Federal Public Health Nurse Leadership Council, and the Federal Nursing Service Council.

RADM Trent-Adams received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Hampton University, a Master of Science in Nursing and Health Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She became a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2014.