Trump’s choice for surgeon general scheduled for online confirmation hearing

Senate Committee to Hold Virtual Hearing on Casey Means’ Nomination

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) will conduct a virtual confirmation hearing next week regarding Casey Means’ nomination as the U.S. Surgeon General. This comes five months after her nomination was first put forward.

According to a statement from the HELP committee, Means will be appearing virtually from Kilauea, Hawaii.

President Trump nominated Means in May, citing her impressive credentials within the “MAHA” initiative as a reason for her suitability. She is an educated physician from Stanford, and interestingly enough, she is the sister of Callie Means, who is an adviser to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Casey Means is also the co-founder of Levels, a health technology firm concentrating on health information tracking through devices. Kennedy has been vocal about his support for wearable health technology, expressing a vision where he anticipates every American will be using such devices within four years.

The nomination of Janet Neshewat was withdrawn by Trump after concerns were raised about her qualifications, leading to Means being nominated instead. However, her nomination has not been without criticism, facing some opposition from former Surgeons General and members of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) community.

In an op-ed for The Hill, Richard Carmona, a former Surgeon General, voiced concerns that while Means is a qualified doctor, she may lack the necessary experience for the position. He pointed out that she isn’t board certified, lacks a valid state medical license, hasn’t completed a residency, and has limited experience in clinical practice, public health, and policy.

Another former Surgeon General, Jerome Adams, who served during Trump’s first term, also expressed reservations. He stated on social media that while he doesn’t have anything against Means personally, he believes the head of America’s public health service should meet similar standards to those they lead.

In a separate editorial in Stat, Adams highlighted that the last four confirmed U.S. Surgeon Generals possessed substantial experience in public health policy. Notably, he himself earned a master’s degree in public health and held the position of health commissioner for Indiana before his confirmation.