Vivek Murthy

Vivek Hallegere Murthy is a British-American physician and a vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps who has served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. Murthy is the first surgeon general of Indian descent, and, during his first term as surgeon general, he was the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service.
vivek-murthy

Some of the key events about Vivek Murthy

  • 1998
    Cofounded VISIONS Worldwide, a nonprofit organization focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the United States
  • 2003
    Graduated from Yale School of Medicine with an M.D. degree
  • 2003
    Cofounded Swasthya, a community health partnership in rural India
  • 2011
    Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health
  • 2013
    Founded Doctors for America, a nonprofit organization of physicians and medical students advocating for improvements in the U.S. healthcare system
  • 2014
    Confirmed as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, becoming the first person of Indian descent to hold this position
  • 2014
    Faced controversy over past statements about gun control during confirmation process for Surgeon General
  • 2015
    Criticized for comments linking gun violence to public health issues, drawing opposition from gun rights advocates
  • 2016
    Released a landmark report on alcohol, drugs, and health as Surgeon General
  • 2017
    Appointed as a member of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
  • 2017
    Removed from position as Surgeon General before completing full four-year term
  • 2020
    Faced criticism for advising Biden campaign while serving on board of Airbnb during pandemic
  • 2021
    Reappointed as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States by President Joe Biden
  • 2021
    Drew controversy for suggesting vaccinated individuals should continue wearing masks outdoors
  • 2021
    Criticized for comments suggesting 13-year-olds were too young to use social media
  • 2022
    Released the Surgeon General's Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis, highlighting the urgent need to address mental health challenges among young people
  • 2022
    Faced backlash for report on mental health effects of social media on youth without substantial new research
  • 2022
    Criticized for perceived overreach in issuing health advisory on "loneliness epidemic"
  • 2023
    Faced scrutiny for potential conflict of interest due to past consulting work for Airbnb
  • 2023
    Criticized for supporting strict COVID-19 measures that some viewed as excessive

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.

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