Barack Obama's possible intention to nominate CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, as Surgeon General might just be an ingenious move to propel public health into the digital era. Gupta is a living-room fixture when it comes to public health, and the position's job description is first and foremost about "educating the public." Since everyone already believes whatever they hear on TV, it seems a perfect union.
Though Gupta has not yet been officially nominated, CNN reports that he has been approached, and the Washington Post reports that Gupta has told the Obama administration that he wants the job.
Somewhere between being a practicing neurosurgeon and a medical celebrity, Gupta seems uniquely qualified over any other potential candidate; quite simply, no one holds down as many relevant jobs or brandishes as golden a smile. But when it specifically comes to the role of the Surgeon General, could Gupta's celebrity and well-known journalistic background be toxic?
The Job
A Surgeon General does more than issue warnings - let's be honest, every doctor does that. He or she must also be a scientifically-savvy analyst and adviser at the disposal of the President and Secretary of Health and Human Services. True, Gupta is the man whom schlockumentarian Michael Moore called "biased," but he is also a medical icon, considering his credentials: board-certified neurosurgeon and the Associate Chief of Neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital (the largest hospital in Georgia); staff and faculty of the department of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine; an author published in a myriad of scientific journals who made the New York Times Bestsellers List; an Emmy-winning journalist; and a former White House Fellow and adviser to Hillary Clinton.
The Surgeon General must also be a leader in promoting national health initiatives (here is where the warnings come in), and in setting research priorities and standards. Gupta's award-winning documentaries have scrutinized such issues as childhood obesity, avian flu, sleep deprivation, earthquake devastation, and the medical challenges faced by Iraq veterans. He might even know something about these many issues.
The job also calls for performing administrative roles, managing the U.S. Public Health Service Corps, and fulfilling "statutory and customary" board positions on a variety of federal and non-governmental boards. Gupta currently works for two hospitals, a university, CNN, TNT, TIME magazine, and is even featured on his own podcast. Perfunctory board positions would probably feel like a vacation to him. However, this brings up another worry: might his many private-sector obligations present conflicts of interest in performing duties on behalf of the American People as a whole? After all, Dick Cheney only needed one special tie to play so many favorites that "Halliburton" became a stand-in word for cronyism.
Judging this last, maybe most important qualification invites one to delve into Gupta's mind, performing our own kind of neurosurgery.
What do we know?
Despite a very public career, few have insight Gupta's political leanings. Most assume his politics were well hidden by the veil of journalistic objectivity he wears. The ironic mystery surrounding such a well-known man is tongue-tying political pundits, which may itself be a medical miracle. Nevertheless, you don't need a medical degree to diagnose a record of putting the personal aside as a severe case of integrity.
That is not to say Gupta has avoided taking positions on issues. Perhaps Dr. Gupta's most well-known position is his disapproval of decriminalizing or medicalizing marijuana. His reasoning is simple: "marijuana isn't really very good for you." That is, if you don't have a medical condition it's been shown to treat (like chemo-induced nausea, or an anorexia-induced lack-of-munchies).
Now it's hard to say how planted he is in this premise. Will he oppose other famously not-good-for-you pastimes, like alcohol, tobacco, and firearms? That's not very Hollywood of him.
And if it's the case that Gupta has a bit of a paternalistic bent, Obama's pick might be against type. The President-elect admits having smoked marijuana, and what's more, having "inhaled frequently." "That was the point," he even added. So Gupta's views are probably not the source of Obama's affinity for him. Perhaps, then, Obama is playing to his other type, Superstar.
Star Power
Is Gupta a good pick? It will be hard to know until we learn more about this ironically inscrutable public figure. He is undoubtedly qualified by his impressive resume and delightful couchside manner. And he's comfortable in the spotlight, which will doubtlessly help him under the microscope of Senate confirmation hearings.
Is it so strange that the general public's surgeon may become the Surgeon General? In a nation with 45.7 million people uninsured, spending more on health care per person than any other country in the world (so long as you don't call Luxemburg a country), the American people could use a little guidance. That is, ultimately, what we should really be seeking from our Surgeon General. If it comes on the back of a little American celebrity-worship, so be it.
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