Vivek Murthy reflects on his activities during the years of the Obama presidency, and discusses his service as surgeon general of the United States from 2014 to 2017. Murthy outlines the issues in the American healthcare system he observed around the time of Obama's election in 2008, and describes his organization of Doctors for Obama, which collected support among doctors for Obama's healthcare re form proposals during the 2008 general election campaign. Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Murthy served on an advisory group to the National Prevention Council, and he recounts the Council's coordination of interagency activities and focus on social determinants of health outcomes. He narrates his nomination and confirmation as surgeon general, speaks widely about the role of the surgeon general in the U.S. healthcare system, and provides details about major issues and initiatives with which he was closely involved, including the administration's response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic; Murthy's listening tour across the country; the composition and publication of surgeon general's reports on addiction, mental health, and the substance use disorder crisis; and the Flint water crisis. Also discussed are Murthy's advocacy during the legislative development of ACA; the controversy surrounding Murthy's previous statements about gun control and public health; and the use of the Prevention and Public Health Fund
Presidents--United States; Health care reform--United States; Public health--United States; Drinking water--Lead content--Michigan; Gun control--United States; Murthy, Vivek Hallegere, 1977-; Obama, Barack; United States. Surgeon-General's Office; United States; National Prevention Council (U.S.); Prevention and Public Health Fund (U.S.); Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
54 pages
Note (Biographical)
Vivek Murthy is an American physician and public servant who served in the Obama administration as surgeon general of the United States from 2014 to 2017. Prior to his government service, Murthy was an attending physician at Brigham and Women's Hospit al in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2008, he founded Doctors for Obama, which transformed into Doctors for America following Obama's 2008 election, and organized support among physicians and medical students for the expansion of access to affordable healthcare. In 2011, President Obama appointed Murthy to the Presidential Advisory Council on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health, which was created by the Affordable Care Act and advises the National Prevention Council. At the time of the interview, Murthy was serving in the Biden-Harris administration as surgeon general of the United States
Note
Interviewed by Peter Bearman on December 20, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Vivek H. Murthy, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023