Questions raised about Gupta as surgeon general

When news slipped out that Dr. Sanjay Gupta might be the next surgeon general, the CNN reporter’s star shine seemed to sprinkle into every conversation.

But even as some medical professionals, politicians and members of the chattering class praised him, others began to raise the issue of his professional qualifications.

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VINO WONG/vwong@ajc.com

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta said he’s interested in the role of surgeon general, but some are questioning his experience.

THE GUPTA FILES
Highlights from Dr. Sanjay Gupta's tenure as CNN chief medical correspondent:
Reports from Charity Hospital in 2005, 2006
Reporting from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Gupta went into the city's Charity Hospital by boat and broke the news that 200 patients and staff members were trapped in the flooded building that officials said had been evacuated, according to CNN. "It's gruesome," Gupta told viewers. "I guess that is the best word for it. ... The morgue is in the basement, and the basement is completely flooded. So you can just imagine the scene down there. But when patients die in the hospital, there is no place to put them, so they're in the stairwells. It is one of the most unbelievable situations I've seen as a doctor, certainly as a journalist as well. There is no electricity. There is no water."
Gupta's coverage earned him an Emmy in 2006
"The First Patient: Health and the Presidency" aired May 25, 2008; "Fit To Lead: An Historical Overview of the Health Concerns and Medical Care of the U.S. Presidency" aired Oct. 12, 2008
In two reports on health and the presidency, Gupta looked at medical cover-ups of presidents past, how the president's medical care is managed, and how the White House handles potential news about the president's health. Gupta had this to say about 47-year-old Barack Obama: "According to actuarial tables, Obama can expect to live another 32 years. One red flag: He was a longtime smoker. He gave it up to run for president, although he admits he slipped off the wagon a few times."
The president-elect, it was revealed, chews Nicorette gum. "Paging Dr. Gupta" series
In these features for CNN, Gupta took on myriad public health issues, including childhood obesity, the effects of caffeine and teen drug use. He also reported on the growing body of evidence linking smoking to the development of breast cancer.
"These are also cancers that have been conclusively linked to smoking — cervix, bladder, pancreas and kidney. How does that happen? Because it's these breakdown products actually are getting throughout the body. ... It will probably prolong your life if you stop smoking now, even if you've been a smoker for a long time. ... It's one of the biggest public health messages I can do right now. It will save your life."
"Fit Nation" in 2006, 2007
Addressing the nation's obesity epidemic became a priority for Gupta in 2006. "Fit Nation" was aimed at getting Americans to exercise, eat more healthfully and be proactive about their health. Gupta's initiative toured college and university campuses.
The following year he continued the "Fit Nation Express" tour and enlisted the help of former President Bill Clinton, who said this about America's weight crisis: "This is perhaps the No. 1 health challenge facing the United States. And of course, there's a lot of discussion in both political parties this year, being an election year, about how we can finally join all the other advanced countries in the world and provide health care to everyone."
"Sanjay Gupta vs. Michael Moore" on "Larry King Live," July 2007
Filmmaker Michael Moore took on the nation's flawed health care system in his 2007 documentary "Sicko." The film highlighted the fact that the United States is the only Western country whose citizens do not have universal health care coverage. In a fact-checking report aired just before Moore appeared on CNN's "Situation Room," Gupta accused Moore of playing loose with the facts. That led to a feud between the two that culminated in an on-air confrontation on "Larry King Live." On that show, Gupta acknowledged that Moore's figures on per capita health care spending for Cubans were correct.
Said Gupta: "That was a mistake of ours. It was an error of transcription and it's — we want to get these facts and figures right, as a doctor and a journalist."
War coverage At the start of the Iraq war, Gupta embedded with a Navy medical unit, and with that assignment, the lines between journalist and doctor quickly blurred as Gupta found himself operating on both U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians. The most notable moment was perhaps when he removed a bullet lodged in Jesus Vidana's brain, saving the Marine's life.
Last year in a CNN special called "Rescuing Youssif," Gupta documented the painful journey of a 4-year-old Iraqi boy who was set afire by masked men in Baghdad and his eventual treatment at a California burn center.
"Youssif's story represents the extremes of human behavior," Gupta said. "The one constant: a mother and father's boundless love for their son."
— Gayle White, Rosalind Bentley and Moni Basu
Source: All quotes from CNN transcripts

Gupta, 39, a neurosurgeon who works regularly at Grady Memorial Hospital and teaches at Emory University in addition to his TV doctor gig, has indicated he is interested in the government post.

Supporters point out that Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, is already an internationally respected communicator on health issues. They believe the surgeon general’s job is, first and foremost, to be a spokesman for good health; and they believe he’s highly qualified.

“Being a celebrity doesn’t necessarily make you unqualified. If anything, it can enhance the office,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, a public health watchdog group in Washington.

But signs of opposition have emerged in the days since his prospective appointment became public. Some critics say he does not have the depth of experience or knowledge of the world of public health to carry the position.

A key Democratic House member, Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, is rallying opposition to Gupta, contending he lacks experience. He is urging Democrats to sign a letter to President-elect Barack Obama urging him not to nominate Gupta.

“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 wrote in the letter made public Thursday.

That raised the ire of those who know that Gupta works at Grady, the Atlanta safety net medical facility for poor people.

“He operates at Grady hospital every single week,” said Dr. Dan Barrow, chairman of the neurosurgery department at Emory.

Part of the difficulty in judging qualifications for surgeon general comes from a generally broad definition of the role. The office’s Web site defines the duties: “protect and advance the health of the nation through educating the public, advocating for effective disease prevention and … providing a highly recognized symbol of national commitment to protecting and improving the public’s health.”

The surgeon general’s position has been muted in recent years following some political controversy. The job has been filled by an interim appointment since Dr. Richard Carmona ended his term in 2006. Carmona later criticized the Bush administration for allegedly interfering with scientific findings that didn’t match its political agenda.

Among the most visible surgeon generals was C. Everett Koop, who, with his smart military uniform and grandfatherly beard, brought attention to AIDS and the dangers of smoking.

“I think a lot of people think wrongfully that the surgeon general is just a figurehead position that talks about public health issues, but it’s more than that,” said Dr. Val Jones, head of Better Health, an online medical education company. Her recent blog opposing a Gupta appointment has been widely circulated on the Internet.

Jones said the surgeon general oversees several thousand commissioned corps in the U.S. Public Health Service, a military branch that includes about 800 scientists and researchers at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stressing that the surgeon general must know about disaster preparedness, national safety and issues in a flu pandemic, Jones said Gupta may not have the background to properly advise the president or, when needed, to stand up against poor policy decisions.

If selected, Gupta would become a military officer. Carmona, the former surgeon general, said that could present challenges.

Gerard Farrell, executive director of the Commissioned Officers Association, said the president should ideally select a surgeon general from among those who served in the commissioned corps, which establishes their experience and credibility.

If Gupta is nominated, he will go through Senate confirmation hearings. U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) said he would support a Gupta appointment and does not foresee much opposition in the Senate.

“He’s one of the best communicators on the subject of health I’ve ever seen,” Isakson said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article