Vivek Murthy. Image: Meredith Nierman
Vivek Murthy. Image: Meredith Nierman
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Vivek Murthy as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States. Murthy, an HMS instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, will assume the role of lead spokesperson on all national public health matters and will lead the U.S. Public Health Service Commission.
“Harvard Medical School physicians have a long history of health care leadership,” said Jeffrey S. Flier, dean of HMS. “Vivek Murthy’s confirmation reflects well on that history, and we look forward to his efforts to enhance the health of our population through his position as surgeon general. ”
“The Brigham and Women’s Hospital community is incredibly proud of Dr. Murthy,” said Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham and Women’s. “I can think of no one better suited for this important role and truly believe that we will be a stronger and healthier nation under his leadership.”
Murthy will replace Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, who has held the post since July 2013, when Regina Benjamin stepped down at the conclusion of her term.
Murthy 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 in the U.S. who are collaborating to improve health care in communities nationwide.
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, President Barack Obama appointed Murthy to serve as a member of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health, a panel created under the Affordable Health Care Act. Obama nominated Murthy for surgeon general in November 2013.
Murthy, who received an AB from Harvard College, an MD from the Yale University School of Medicine and an MBA from Yale, has been an instructor in medicine 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 physician for the country, 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 and Human Services.
