More Than 100 National Organizations Demonstrate Strong Support for Dr. Vivek Murthy as the next Surgeon General

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, more than 100 national organizations – including the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Trust for America's Health (TFAH) – sent a letter to members of the Senate urging them to confirm Dr. Vivek Murthy as the next surgeon general.

"I have seen Dr. Murthy's highly skilled work firsthand—he is an inspirational leader who can bring the medical and public health communities together to create a culture of health in America," said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH and chair of the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. "The avalanche of support from the public health community for Dr. Murthy's nomination demonstrates the importance of confirming him."

The letter, in part, reads: "As state and national public health organizations dedicated to protecting and improving the health of all Americans, we write to voice our strong support for Dr. Vivek Murthy's nomination as surgeon general of the United States. Dr. Murthy is a well-qualified, forward thinking and innovative leader with a strong commitment to public health. We are confident that he will play an important and leading role in improving the health of the American public, and we urge you to support his nomination."

Past surgeons general have successfully brought attention to critical health issues such as the addictiveness of tobacco use and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  Dr. Murthy has stated his intention to make the obesity epidemic one of his top priorities.

As noted in the letter: "During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, Dr. Murthy stated that educating the public about the obesity epidemic would be one of his top priorities as surgeon general. Thirteen states now have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, 41 states have rates of at least 25 percent, and every state is above 20 percent. Addressing the obesity epidemic is essential to improve health and reduce the growing rates of chronic disease, which now make up 75 percent of America's health costs. National leadership from the surgeon general can help to build the cross-sector partnerships in communities which are essential to reversing this epidemic."

Earlier this year leading public health experts and organizations – including Dr. David Satcher, APHA, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and many others – released individual letters in support of Dr. Vivek Murthy becoming the next surgeon general.

Dr. Satcher, surgeon general under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, wrote, in his letter of support: "Dr. Murthy's impressive track record of accomplishments as an innovative and well-respected thought leader in health care will prove to be invaluable to the American people." 

Today, TFAH joined the 105 other national organizations in supporting the nomination of Dr. Murthy in signing today's letter, including:

1.     AIDS Action Coalition (AL)
2.     AIDS Project Los Angeles
3.     AIDS Resource Center Ohio
4.     AIDS United
5.     Alaska Public Health Association
6.     American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
7.     American College of Clinical Pharmacy
8.     American College of Physicians
9.     American College of Sports Medicine
10.  American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
11.  American Council on Exercise
12.  American Diabetes Association
13.  American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
14.  American Heart Association
15.  American Medical Student Association
16.  American Podiatric Medical Association
17.  American Public Health Association
18.  American Sexual Health Association
19.  American Trauma Society
20.  Amida Care, Inc.
21.  APLA Health & Wellness (CA)
22.  Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
23.  Association of American Medical Colleges
24.  Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
25.  Association of Public Health Laboratories
26.  BOOM!Health
27.  Boston Public Health Commission (MA)
28.  Boston University School of Medicine (MA)
29.  Bronx Health REACH (NY)
30.  Buncombe County Health and Human Services (NC)
31.  California Public Health Association-North
32.  Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
33.  Cascade AIDS Project
34.  Center for Active Design
35.  Center for Science in the Public Interest
36.  ChangeLab Solutions
37.  Claudia Smith Public Health Nursing Consultation
38.  Columbia CARES (TN)
39.  Community Action Partnership
40.  Connecticut Public Health Association
41.  Cuyahoga County Board of Health (OH)
42.  Delaware HIV Consortium
43.  Delaware Public Health Association and Delaware Academy of Medicine
44.  Directors of Health Promotion and Education
45.  Families USA
46.  Futures Without Violence
47.  Georgia Public Health Association
48.  Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Association
49.  Hawai'i Public Health Association
50.  Health Resources in Action, Inc. (MA)
51.  Healthy Kinder, Inc.
52.  Iowa Public Health Association
53.  Illinois Public Health Association
54.  Indiana Public Health Association
55.  IV CHARIS (OH)
56.  Jefferson County Health Department (MO)
57.  Legacy Community Health Services (TX)
58.  Lifelong
59.  Louisiana Public Health Association, Inc.
60.  Maine Public Health Association
61.  Minnesota Public Health Association
62.  Missouri Public Health Association
63.  Montana Public Health Association
64.  Nashville CARES
65.  National AHEC Organization
66.  National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors
67.  National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD)
68.  National Association of County and City Health Officials
69.  National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)
70.  National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition
71.  National Black Nurses Association
72.  National Center for Healthy Housing
73.  National Coalition of STD Directors
74.  National Health Care for the Homeless Council
75.  National Hispanic Medical Association
76.  National Recreation and Park Association
77.  National WIC Association
78.  Nevada Public Health Association
79.  New Hampshire Public Health Association
80.  New Jersey Public Health Association
81.  New Mexico Public Health Association
82.  New York State Public Health Association
83.  North Dakota Public Health Association
84.  NYU College of Nursing
85.  Ohio AIDS Coalition
86.  Ohio Public Health Association
87.  Oregon Public Health Association
88.  Partnership for Prevention
89.  Prevention Institute
90.  Public Health Association of Nebraska
91.  Public Health Institute
92.  School-Based Health Alliance
93.  Society of General Internal Medicine
94.  South Dakota Public Health Association
95.  Southern California  Public Health Association
96.  Spokane Regional Health District (WA)
97.  Texas Public Health Association
98.  The AIDS Institute
99.  UMMA Community Clinic (CA)
100. United States Breastfeeding Committee
101. University of Hartford (CT)
102. University of Utah College of Nursing
103. Utah Public Health Association
104. Vermont Public Health Association
105. Washington State Public Health Association

Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

SOURCE Trust for America's Health