Rep. Conyers Discouraging Colleagues From Supporting Potential Obama Surgeon General-Nominee Gupta
House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers (D-Mich.) on Thursday began circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter among members of Congress asking them to join him in discouraging Obama from selecting CNN medical correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta as surgeon general, the Detroit Free Press reports. In the letter, Conyers wrote that "there are highly experienced medical professionals who question whether Dr. Gupta has the necessary experience or even the medical background to be in charge of some 6,000 physicians or more who work in the United States Public Health Service" (Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 1/8). He added, "Clearly, it is not in the best interests of the nation to have someone like this who lacks the requisite experience needed to oversee the federal agency that provides crucial health care assistance to some of the poorest and most underserved communities in America."Conyers on his own campaign blog wrote that Gupta has given "little thought to the serious problems facing our health care system." He added that the position requires someone of "serious stature" and "with deep roots in the public health community" (Bendery, Roll Call, 1/8). Conyers planned to call Obama directly on Thursday to express his concerns. He has also spoken with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Obama's choice for surgeon general must be confirmed by the Senate (Hooper, The Hill, 1/8). According to the Free Press, Conyers has been advocating for Herb Smitherman, a public health advocate and assistant dean for community and urban health at Wayne State University School of Medicine (Detroit Free Press, 1/8).
Other sources have expressed doubt over naming Gupta as the next surgeon general, The Politico reports. In a statement posted on its Web site, the Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS wrote, "Continuing to bypass career PHS officers for the top leadership role in public health is unhealthy for the career aspirations of these dedicated and highly talented public servants." However, the public health community in its entirety has not expressed "major opposition" to Gupta, The Politico reports. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said, "There are a lot of people who would like to see someone with a master's in public health in this job," but "[Gupta's] skills would not be disqualifying at this point" (Vogel, The Politico, 1/9).
Potential FDA Director Candidates
Former FDA Director Jane Henney is among those being considered by President-elect Barack Obama to head the agency, Bloomberg/Cincinnati Enquirer reports. According to a person familiar with the matter, an Obama representative asked if Henney was interested in the position and she said yes.
Henney led FDA from November 1998 to January 2001 under the Clinton administration. Since then, she has served as senior vice president and provost for health affairs at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center from 2003 to 2008 and currently teaches at the university's College of Medicine in areas including health policy and biomedical research. She also served as FDA's deputy commissioner for operations from 1992 to 1994, as well as various positions at the National Cancer Institute. Henney also is on the board of the health insurer Cigna, drug distributor AmerisourceBergen and drugmaker AstraZeneca.
According to Bloomberg/Enquirer, Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steve Nissen, Baltimore Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein and Duke University professor of medicine Robert Califf also are being considered for the position (Bloomberg/Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/8).
