CNN Medical Correspondent, Neurosurgeon Gupta Selected As New Surgeon General

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 12 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PST

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President-elect Barack Obama recently selected Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, to be the next U.S. Surgeon General, pending Senate approval, the New York Times reports (Harris, New York Times, 1/7). Gupta hosts CNN's weekend program "House Call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta" and is an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine, as well as a neurosurgeon at Emory University Hospital and associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Health System (Neergaard, AP/Tucson Citizen, 1/7).

The surgeon general serves as the nation's "chief health educator" by providing the public with medical information on how to improve health and reduce the risk of injury and illness (Schneider, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/6). The surgeon general also is responsible for commanding the 6,000-member U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, a group of scientists and emergency responders who address a broad range of health emergencies (Hall/Sternberg, USA Today, 1/7).

Gupta also has been offered the lead role in the new White House Office of Health Reform, which would give him "twin duties that could make him the most influential surgeon general in history," the Washington Post reports. The Obama transition team refused to comment on the matter, noting its policy of not discussing appointments publicly before they are finalized. Gupta also declined to comment but did not deny plans to accept the position, according to the Post (Connolly/Kurt, Washington Post, 1/7). According to people at CNN and members of the Obama transition team, Gupta likely will make a decision on whether to accept the position in the next few days (New York Times, 1/7). Gupta, if nominated, will be subject to confirmation hearings before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (Armstrong, CQ Today, 1/6).

~ NPR's "All Things Considered" on Tuesday reported on Obama's choice of Gupta as surgeon general (Rovner/Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 1/6).

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