Casey Means’ confirmation hearing for surgeon general postponed : NPR

Update: President Trump's Surgeon General confirmation hearing scheduled for October 30 at 11 a.m. has been canceled. Dr. Casey Means, who is pregnant, goes into labor.

The Department of Health and Human Services declined to answer questions about when the hearing would be rescheduled, but spokeswoman Emily Hilliard issued the following statement: “Everyone is happy for Dr. Means and her family. This is one of the few times in life when it is easy to ask for a Senate hearing to be rescheduled.”

WHO: Dr. Casey Means

Nominated for: Chief Surgeon

You may know her from: Casey Means is a health influencer, entrepreneur, and author. Last year she published a best-selling book on diet and metabolic health. Good energy.

• She co-wrote the book with her older brother Callie Means, who serves in the Trump administration as a special government official and is a close adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• She has not completed a surgical residency and does not have a current medical license, which would be a major departure from past surgeons.
• She runs a company that promotes the use of continuous glucose monitors.
• She described America as a country in “spiritual crisis” and questioned childhood immunization schedules, contraceptive use and called what she calls “corruption” at the FDA.

What does this role do? Known as the nation's top physician, the Surgeon General leads more than 6,000 members of the U.S. Public Health Service, which includes physicians, nurses and scientists working for a variety of federal agencies.

The Surgeon General works for the Department of Health and Human Services and issues public guidelines and reports to communicate health information to the public.

Given the delay in the hearing, what does it mean for the US not to have someone as surgeon general? The Surgeon General is the chief communicator of the nation's health. A person in this role raises awareness of current health issues. For example, former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy published report on the impact of loneliness on health. Secretary Kennedy himself has done a lot of this kind of communication work and uses his platform to promote his views on health.

What to expect at the hearing:

It's been more than five months since Trump announced Casey Means would replace his original choice, Fox News contributor Dr. Jeanette Nesheiwat.

She was originally scheduled to join the Senate hearing remotely, which is unusual. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is holding the hearing, did not explain why she would join virtually. Her brother Kelly Means announced in May that she was pregnant.

Senators will likely have tough questions for her about her qualifications and potential conflicts of interest. IN financial documents released pending the hearing, Means has committed to resigning from her continuous glucose monitoring company if this is confirmed. She also revealed financial ties to the dietary supplement industry, which she vowed to divest from.

Means is 38 years old and a graduate of Stanford Medical School. She completed most of her residency as a head and neck surgeon, but quit before completing it.

In subsequent years she turned to what is known as functional medicinea field that focuses on the root causes of disease and often includes lifestyle changes and alternative medicine approaches that are not always evidence-based.

She had a functional medical practice in Oregon for some time. But she has not received board certification, and her Oregon medical license is currently listed as inactive.

Means has expanded her public profile on social media and through her book. Good energy. She has been on big podcasts in the wellness space with her brother and co-creator Callie Means. Her message tends to echo that of Kennedy and his Make Americans Healthy Again allies, especially regarding the high rate of chronic disease in the United States.

“What we're dealing with here is much more than just a physical health crisis—it's a spiritual crisis,” she said at Congress round table last year it was led by Republicans.

She frequently speaks about the US food supply and environmental toxins, and criticizes the pharmaceutical industry. Kennedy said she would become the greatest surgeon of all time.

Confrontation on several fronts:

Means's assertion drew significant opposition from medical and public health experts. They point to her lack of leadership skills and clinical experience that surgeon generals traditionally possess. some of her looks. For example, she expressed concern about the safety of the childhood immunization schedule and interrogated hormonal contraceptives. She also supports raw milk, as does Kennedy, who will become her boss.

“The likely Senate confirmation of Casey Means as Surgeon General, a man who never completed medical training, would set a disastrous precedent for the nation's top public health role,” Dr. Jerome Adams wrote in a statement to NPR. Adams served as surgeon general in the first Trump administration.

“Numerous qualified candidates—fully trained, licensed physicians committed to prevention and health—could lead a group of 6,000 people. [U.S. Public Health Service] with honors,” he added. “Proof of funds reflects capitulation to political pressure rather than a desire to get the best person for the job.”

Earlier this year, opposition to her nomination also appeared from some of Kennedy's MAHA supporters, in part because of concerns that she would not be critical enough of vaccines or promote their movement's other priorities.

However, it is unlikely that the Senate would have scheduled a hearing unless the Trump White House was confident that Means could be confirmed. The withdrawal of this administration's previous health official nominees occurred before the hearings took place.

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