Well-respected internist and member of American College of Physicians has been backed for post by ACP since February
December 16, 2014
(Washington) - With the backing of the American College of Physicians (ACP), Vivek Hallegere Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. Monday evening won confirmation to become Surgeon General of the United States. Last Feb. 3, ACP sent a letter of support to Senators Thomas Harkin (D-Iowa) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Expressing "strong support," the letter was sent by Charles Cutler, MD, MACP, chair of the ACP Board of Regents, and Steven E. Weinberger, MD, FACP, EVP/CEO of ACP.
The letter noted that, "Dr. Murthy is an esteemed faculty member at Harvard Medical School and hospitalist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. He is a strong advocate for the provision of health insurance coverage to all Americans and is a proven leader who can build coalitions among diverse individuals to ensure better health for our communities. Additionally, Dr. Murthy has extensive experience with protecting the public's health, including serving on the U.S. Presidential Advisory Council on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health; co-founding VISIONS Worldwide in 1995, a non-profit organization focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the United States; and co-founding TrialNetworks, an organization aimed at optimizing the quality and efficiency of clinical operations at each stage of a trial from feasibility through closeout."
The letter concluded, "Therefore, ACP encourages appointment of Dr. Murthy to the role of Surgeon General." ACP has been active in the continued support and consideration of Dr. Murthy through his confirmation.
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The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 141,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.
Contact:
David Kinsman, (202) 261-4554, dkinsman@acponline.org