U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, addressed the need for medical professionals to be more involved in healthcare policy-making decisions during a John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum event on Nov. 28 at Harvard Institute of Politics in Cambridge, Mass., according to The Harvard Crimson.
Here are four things to know:
1. Dr. Murthy is the 19th Surgeon General of the United States and has previously been an instructor at Boston-based Harvard Medical School.
2. During the forum, Dr. Murphy discussed the need to address our nation's opioid crisis, an issue Dr. Murphy deems as one of the most pressing health issues today. In August, Dr. Murphy drafted a letter to providers seeking their help in fighting the opioid crisis.
3. He also urged providers to take on a role in public life so they can actively advocate for their patients' well-being. He said, "It's no longer enough for us to sit in our hospitals and clinics and hope that the healthcare system gets fixed, hope that social determinants [of health] get addressed and when in fact we need to step up and be that voice that calls for some of that change."
4. When the forum's moderator asked Dr. Murphy how he thinks President-elect Trump's administration will impact public health policies, Dr. Murphy said the administration will likely make progress on issues such as substance abuse as the issue has been bipartisan for many years.