Almost one year and a half after being nominated by President Obama to be the 19th US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy had his ceremonial swearing-in on April 22, 2015. Dr. Murthy was nominated in November 2013 and confirmed by the Senate in December 2014, after much opposition from the National Rifle Association over his views on gun control.
Dr. Murthy completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard and received his MD and MBA degrees from Yale. He completed his residency training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he later joined the faculty as an internist and instructor.
As a freshman at Harvard, Dr. Murthy co-founded a nonprofit, VISIONS, which focuses on educating people in India and the US about HIV and AIDS. His work in the public health field also included co-founding the Swasthya project, which helped train women in India be health providers and educators.
In 2009, Dr. Murthy started a nonprofit, Doctors for America, composed of more than 16,000 physicians and medical students supporting President Obama’s healthcare initiatives.
As Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy acted as the “Nation’s Doctor”: the highest authority on public health matters in the US. He was expected to ensure the health safety and security of the nation as well as become the spokesperson for the federal government’s views on public health policy. He oversaw all public health programs and initiatives that require federal government money. Dr. Murthy also commanded the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service (USPHS), a division that is comprised of more than 6,700 officers and serves to “protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our Nation”.
According to an interview with The Washington Post, Murthy encouraged creating a society centered around preventative care and his “overarching goal [was] to get every individual, every institution and every sector in America… to ask themselves the question [of] what they can do to improve the health and the strength of our nation.”
Other areas that Murthy focused on include obesity, chronic diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), substance abuse, and mental health.
Featured Image Source: Pete Souza.
