Why Surgeon General’s confirmation is a good thing

The job of the Surgeon General historically has entailed confronting entrenched beliefs and stepping up to meet challenges to the nation’s health. Dr. Murthy should follow in the footsteps of some of his predecessors.

by Janet Golden and Michael Yudell

Published Jan. 20, 2015, 6:30 a.m. ET

Dr. Vivek Murthy, who during

faced blistering criticism for his position linking gun violence and public health, was finally confirmed last month as the 19

Surgeon General of the United States.

Dr. Murthy's nomination had languished, in large part, because of his position on guns. In 2012, he tweeted to his followers, "Tired of politicians playing politics w/ guns, putting lives at risk b/c they're scared of NRA. Guns are a health care issue." His position, not surprisingly, did not put him in the good graces of the National Rifle Association, which opposed the nomination. "Unfortunately, Murthy's record of political activism in support of radical gun control measures raises significant concerns about the likelihood he would use the office of surgeon general to further his preexisting campaign against gun ownership," the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action wrote in February of last year.

But in the end, Murthy's expertise and the need to fill the post (we were Surgeon General-less during a rough year for public health) won out over the opposition, helped by the post-election timing of a vote that lame-duck Democrats could cast without fear. In making the nomination, over a year ago, the White House issued the following statement about Dr. Murthy's training and distinguished career:

Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy is the Co-Founder and President of Doctors for America, a position he has held since 2009. Dr. Murthy is also a Hospitalist Attending Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, a position he has held since 2006. In 2011, Dr. Murthy was appointed to serve as a Member of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. Dr. Murthy has been the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of TrialNetworks, formerly known as Epernicus, since 2007. Dr. Murthy co-founded VISIONS Worldwide in 1995, a non-profit organization focused on HIV/AIDS education in India and the United States, where he served as President from 1995 to 2000 and Chairman of the Board from 2000 to 2003. Dr. Murthy received a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management, and an M.D. from Yale School of Medicine.

The office Dr. Murthy assumes is one with a long history of playing a vital role in the nation's health. Although the title "Surgeon General" did not exist until the 1870s, the Office of the Surgeon General dates back to the U.S. Marine Service hospital established in 1789.

Dr. Murthy follows some distinguished predecessors. The fourth Surgeon General, Dr. Rupert Blue, who held office from 1912 to 1919 expanded the role of the Public Health Service and confronted the twin challenges of military mobilization in World War I and the 1918 influenza epidemic.

Dr. Thomas Parran Jr. served as Surgeon General from 1936 to 1948. He is remembered for

and, far more negatively, for authorizing the continuation of what became known as the

» READ MORE: Tuskegee Syphilis Study

. Less well known was Parran’s support for

which led to his investigation by a Republican-controlled Congress.

Several post World War II Surgeons General stepped up to address other controversial issues. Dr. Luther Terry, who served from 1961 to 1965, established the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, which issued the landmark 1964 report, Smoking and Health. Dr. C. Everett Koop, formerly a Penn professor and pediatric surgeon at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia , served from 1982 to 1989 wrote and distributed "Understanding AIDS," which was sent to 107 million households in 1988. Our most recent past Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin served from 2009 to 2013 and chaired the National Prevention Council. She brought the issues of obesity and support for breastfeeding into greater public discussion.

As the "Nation's Doctor," Dr. Murthy will chair the National Prevention Council, which advises Americans on improving their health and reducing the risk of illness and injury, and he will oversee the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

In trying to suppress Dr. Murthy's nomination, the NRA and its allies sought to curtail discussions of gun safety and gun violence. Thankfully, in this case, they failed. And now it is up to Dr. Murthy and everyone else in public health to continue to press the case for common sense gun regulations that protect children and adults alike from all types of gun violence.

One thing that Dr. Murthy could do immediately is to push the Obama administration and Congress to act on funding to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's research into the causes of gun violence. Following the Sandy Hook massacre, in January of 2013, President Obama issued an Executive Order calling on the CDC to investigate gun violence. But the Washington Post reported last week , that the research has stalled because of blocked Congressional funding as well as the CDC's "fear about returning to one of the country's most divisive debates."

The job of the Surgeon General historically has entailed confronting entrenched beliefs and stepping up to meet challenges to the nation's health. Dr. Murthy should follow in the footsteps of some of his predecessors and work for common sense gun regulations as he takes on the daunting tasks of confronting threats old and new while promoting the nation's health. We wish him the best.