Trump’s surgeon general pick goes into labour before confirmation hearing
President Donald Trump’s controversial pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, had to postpone her Senate confirmation hearing after giving birth to her first child, a spokesperson said.
Dr. Means, named “the best doctor in the country,” was scheduled to appear before the Senate committee virtually due to her advanced pregnancy.
Unlike former general surgeons, the 38-year-old Stanford-educated physician and wellness entrepreneur does not have an active medical license. She is known for her skepticism of conventional medicine and her promotion of wellness products.
It remains unclear when the confirmation hearing will be postponed.
But the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in a statement: “Everyone is happy for Dr. Means and his family. This is one of the rare times in life when it is easy to request a Senate hearing be moved.”
The candidate graduated from Stanford Medical School and completed most of her residency training to become a head and neck surgeon, although she quit before finishing.
“I left the hospital and embarked on a journey to understand the real reasons why people get sick,” she wrote in her book about ending residency.
One of the leaders of the Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement, which views pharmaceutical and food companies as corrupt and responsible for the increase in chronic diseases, is known for her book Good Energy.
The book advocates natural foods, exercise and lifestyle changes as the foundation of good health.
Dr. Means questioned elements of the childhood immunization schedule and suggested Americans not use pharmaceutical prescriptions for chronic illnesses.
She also warned against long-term use of hormonal contraceptives.
Dr. Means co-founded a company called Levels, which helps people monitor their blood sugar levels, and has sold other wellness products, including teas and dietary supplements, on social media.
She signed an ethics agreement last month stipulating that she would resign from her advisory position at Levels and stop making monetized posts on social media.
His nomination faced bipartisan criticism, including from former surgeons general.
Dr. Jerome Adams, who served under Trump during his first term, expressed concern that Dr. Means did not have both a medical license and completed residency training.
“We must recognize that our current health care system is broken and radical change is needed,” Dr. Adams wrote on social media. “Yet no one would go to an unlicensed and incompletely trained doctor for surgery or a C-section.”
But HHS said Dr. Means’ qualifications were not in question and pointed to his degree from Stanford and his years of work in health research positions at the National Institute of Health and several research universities. The agency also noted that she has published peer-reviewed articles in major medical journals.
“His credentials, research background and experience in public life give him the right ideas to be the surgeon general who helps ensure that America never again becomes the sickest nation on earth,” said HHS Press Secretary Emily Hilliard.
If confirmed, Dr. Means would lead the United States Public Health Service, which has more than 6,000 people across several federal agencies.
She would be responsible for issuing national health advisories and would report to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Dr. Means became the Trump administration’s nominee after the White House withdrew its previous pick, Fox News host Dr. Janette Nesheiwat.
