The Senate HELP committee has postponed its confirmation hearing with Dr. Casey Means, President Donald Trump’s surgeon general nominee. Means is a wellness influencer who doesn’t hold an active medical license and hasn’t completed a residency. Her lack of expertise raises concerns about her ability to provide trustworthy medical guidance.
Means was scheduled to testify virtually on Thursday but went into labor instead. Her experience as a wellness entrepreneur selling dietary supplements and teas is not enough to qualify her for the role. Past surgeons general, such as Dr. Vivek Murthy and Dr. C. Everett Koop, were board-certified physicians with a deep understanding of population health.
The surgeon general plays a crucial role in promoting public health and providing evidence-based guidelines. Means’ views on diet and medications oversimplify complex public health issues, ignoring systemic inequities that drive health disparities. Her nomination raises concerns about the Trump administration’s prioritization of politics over science and public health.
Source: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-surgeon-general-nominee-casey-means-rcna240352