LMA—Dr. Vivek Murthy, who has strong ties to the Longwood Medical Area (LMA), has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the next surgeon general more than a year after President Barack Obama nominated him for that position.
The nomination was held back while the White House dealt with opposition over Murthy’s view that gun control is a health care issue.
Murthy is a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, both in the LMA. He has held the positions since 2006.
Murthy is also the co-founder and president of Doctors for America, a nonprofit that works to improve the health of the country and ensure that everyone has access to affordable, quality health care.
“I applaud the Senate for confirming Vivek Murthy to be our country’s next Surgeon General,” said Obama, according to a statement released by the White House. “As ‘America’s Doctor,’ Vivek will hit the ground running to make sure every American has the information they need to keep themselves and their families safe. He’ll bring his lifetime of experience promoting public health to bear on priorities ranging from stopping new diseases to helping our kids grow up healthy and strong.”
The surgeon general heads the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and serves as the nation’s spokesperson and advocate on public health issues.
New U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. (Photo by Meredith Nierman)