Vivek Murthy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vivek Murthy
Official portrait, 2022
19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States
In office March 5, 2021 – January 20, 2025
President	Joe Biden
Deputy	Erica Schwartz Denise Hinton
Preceded by	Susan Orsega (acting)
Succeeded by	Denise Hinton (acting)
In office April 22, 2015 – April 21, 2017
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Deputy	Sylvia Trent-Adams
Preceded by	Boris Lushniak (acting)
Succeeded by	Sylvia Trent-Adams (acting)
Co-Chair of the COVID-19 Advisory Board
In office November 9, 2020 – January 20, 2021 Serving with David A. Kessler, Marcella Nunez-Smith
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Vivek Hallegere Murthy (1977-07-10) 10 July 1977 (age 48) Huddersfield, England, UK
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Alice Chen ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA) Yale University (MD, MBA)
Awards	Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship
Uniformed service
Service/branch	U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
Years of service	2015-2017 2021–2025
Rank	Vice Admiral

Vivek Hallegere Murthy (born July 10, 1977) is an American doctor and a former vice admiral. He served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. This important role means he was the nation's top doctor, advising the public on health matters.

Dr. Murthy served under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. He was the first Surgeon General of Indian descent. During his first time in the role, he was the youngest active duty flag officer in the federal uniformed service.

From November 2020 to January 2021, Dr. Murthy helped lead President-elect Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board. He returned to the role of U.S. Surgeon General in March 2021. In October 2022, he was chosen to represent the U.S. on the World Health Organization's executive board.

Early Life and Schooling

Vivek Murthy was born in Huddersfield, England. His parents were immigrants from Karnataka, India. In 1978, his family moved to Canada, and then to Miami when he was three. His parents started their own medical practice there.

Murthy grew up in Miami and finished high school in 1994. He then went to Harvard University, graduating in 1997 with a degree in biochemical sciences. In 2003, he earned two more degrees from Yale University: a medical degree (M.D.) and a business degree (M.B.A.).

While at Yale, Murthy helped create a special class called "The Healer's Art." In this class, medical students talked about important topics like what it means to be a healer and how to handle difficult situations.

Dr. Murthy's Career

Helping Communities as a Student

In 1995, while at Harvard, Murthy co-founded VISIONS Worldwide. This group worked to educate people about HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and India. In 1997, he also helped start the Swasthya Community Health Partnership. This program trained women in rural India to be health workers and educators.

Medical Work and Public Service

After medical school, Murthy completed his training at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He worked as a doctor there, caring for many patients and teaching new medical students.

In 2008, Murthy founded Doctors for America. This group of over 15,000 doctors and medical students supports good, affordable healthcare for everyone.

In 2011, President Barack Obama asked Murthy to join a special council. This group advised the government on how to improve the nation's health through prevention. Murthy also helped with Obama's re-election campaign in 2012, focusing on healthcare.

Murthy also co-founded TrialNetworks. This company uses technology to make pharmaceutical and biotechnology studies better. This helps new medicines reach people faster and more safely.

First Term as Surgeon General (2015–2017)

Murthy was sworn in as surgeon general of the United States by Vice President Joe Biden with his father Lakshminarasimha Murthy, fiancée Alice Chen and mother Maithreya Murthy looking on, April 22, 2015

Becoming Surgeon General

In November 2013, President Obama nominated Murthy to be the Surgeon General. Some people in the Senate disagreed with his nomination. This was because Murthy had previously said that gun violence was a public health concern.

However, over 100 medical and public health groups supported Murthy. Two former Surgeons General also supported him. On December 15, 2014, the Senate approved his appointment.

Key Actions as Surgeon General

Vivek Murthy with NIH director Francis Collins on July 23, 2015

During his time as Surgeon General, Murthy focused on creating a "culture of prevention." This meant encouraging physical activity, good nutrition, and emotional well-being. He launched "Step It Up! The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities." He even partnered with Fitbit for a "Step it Up Challenge" to encourage walking. He also worked with characters like Elmo to teach people about vaccines and healthy eating.

In 2016, Murthy released a report about e-cigarette use among young people. He warned that these products could be harmful to youth. He suggested that e-cigarettes should be included in rules that ban smoking in certain places.

Murthy also helped the U.S. deal with major health challenges. These included the Ebola and Zika viruses and the Flint Michigan water crisis.

He also spoke about how climate change affects people's health. He said that climate change could lead to more illnesses and deaths. Murthy also spoke out against "conversion therapy," saying it is not good medical practice.

On April 21, 2017, President Trump ended Murthy's term as Surgeon General. Murthy's deputy, Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, became the acting Surgeon General.

After His First Term (2017–2021)

After his first time as Surgeon General, Murthy talked a lot about the "loneliness epidemic." He appeared on TV and radio shows and wrote articles about loneliness and feeling alone. He noticed that many people he cared for as a doctor felt very lonely. He believes loneliness is a big problem that can lead to other social issues.

In April 2020, he wrote a book called Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. This book shares ideas on how people and society can reduce loneliness.

Murthy also spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In his speech, he called for stronger leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Term as Surgeon General (2021–2025)

Returning to the Role

In September 2020, Murthy joined the team planning for President-elect Joe Biden's transition. In November, he was named one of the three leaders of Biden's coronavirus advisory board.

On December 3, 2020, it was reported that President-elect Joe Biden would nominate Murthy to return as Surgeon General. The Senate confirmed his nomination on March 23, 2021.

Before his confirmation, Murthy shared information about his past work. He had provided consulting services for companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and Carnival Cruise Line. He also gave speeches for various organizations.

Actions in His Second Term

As Surgeon General, Murthy led a team of 6,700 public health officers. In September 2021, he spoke out against social media companies for allowing false information about COVID-19 on their sites.

In 2023, Murthy shared his concerns about how social media affects the mental health of young users. He also continued to describe the "loneliness epidemic" as a serious public health risk, similar to smoking.

His second term as Surgeon General ended on January 20, 2025, with the end of the Biden administration.

Personal Life

Murthy is married to Alice Chen. She is also a doctor and used to be the executive director of Doctors for America. They have two children.

Awards and Honors

In 2023, Murthy gave the main speech at American University's graduation ceremonies. He also received an honorary doctor of science degree. In 2024, Time Magazine named him one of the most influential people in health.

Images for kids

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  Official portrait, 2022

See also

In Spanish: Vivek Murthy para niños

• List of Harvard University politicians