HMS Physician Nominated To Be U.S. Surgeon General

President Barack Obama has nominated a Harvard Medical School physician to become the 19th surgeon general of the United States.

Obama announced his nomination of Vivek Murthy, an HMS instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, on Nov. 14.

Murthy’s nomination will next go through an approval process in the U.S. Senate; if approved by a majority vote, Murthy will assume the role of lead spokesperson on all national public health matters and will lead the U.S. Public Health Service Commission.

“Dr. Murthy will be an exceptional surgeon general,” said Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Passion for others has been the common thread underlying Dr. Murthy’s endeavors to connect at all levels with people to better their worlds through optimal health.”

Murthy would replace Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, who has held the post since July after Regina Benjamin stepped down at the conclusion of her term.

Murthy, 36, is the co-founder and president of Doctors for America, a position he has held since 2009. Doctors for America is a national organization of more than 16,000 physicians and medical students from every state who are collaborating to improve health care in U.S. communities.

In 2007, Murthy also co-founded TrialNetworks, a platform that uses cloud-based technology to optimize operations for pharmaceutical clinical trials. In 1995, he co-founded VISIONS Worldwide, a nonprofit focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the U.S., where he served as president from 1995 to 2000 and chairman from 2000 to 2003.

In January 2011, Obama appointed Murthy to serve as a member of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health, a panel created by the Affordable Health Care Act.

Murthy, who received a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.D. from Yale School of Medicine, as well as an MBA from Yale, has been an instructor at HMS and served as a hospitalist at Brigham and Women’s since 2006, after completing his residency in internal medicine at the hospital.

As chief doctor for the U.S., the primary responsibility of the surgeon general is to offer Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce the risk of illness and injury. The surgeon general serves a four-year term and reports to the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health.

By KATIE DUBOFF

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About Harvard Medical School (HMS)

Driving Change. Building Momentum. Making History.

“Since 1872, Harvard Medical School has been the incubator of bold ideas—a place where extraordinary people advance education, science and health care with unrelenting passion.

Whether training tomorrow’s doctors and scientists, decoding the fundamental nature of life, advancing patient care or improving health delivery systems around the world, we are never at rest. Allied with some of the world’s best hospitals, research institutes and a University synonymous with excellence, the School’s mission remains as ambitious as it is honorable: to alleviate human suffering caused by disease.”

More at Harvard Medical School & Harvard Medical School. Generations of Leaders.

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About Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public’s health through learning, discovery and communication. More than 400 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 1,000-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children’s health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights.

More at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) & Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). History.

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About Harvard University.

Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world.

Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. Harvard faculty are engaged with teaching and research to push the boundaries of human knowledge. For students who are excited to investigate the biggest issues of the 21st century, Harvard offers an unparalleled student experience and a generous financial aid program, with over $160 million awarded to more than 60% of our undergraduate students. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education.

‘Universities nurture the hopes of the world: in solving challenges that cross borders; in unlocking and harnessing new knowledge; in building cultural and political understanding; and in modeling environments that promote dialogue and debate… The ideal and breadth of liberal education that embraces the humanities and arts as well as the social and natural sciences is at the core of Harvard’s philosophy. ’/ Drew Gilpin Faust

More About Harvard University & About Harvard University. Information.

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* The above story is adapted from materials provided by Harvard University

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