Casey Means faces the Senate health committee in a confirmation hearing to be US surgeon general

Wellness Influencer Dr. Casey Means Faces Senate Scrutiny in Surgeon General Confirmation Hearing

Dr. Casey Means, a 38-year-old wellness influencer and entrepreneur, appeared before the Senate health committee Wednesday for her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s next surgeon general. Means presented a vision focused on addressing chronic disease through lifestyle changes, but faced tough questions about her qualifications and potential conflicts of interest.

“Our nation is angry, exhausted, and hurting from preventable diseases,” Means said in her opening remarks. She emphasized the need for public health leaders to address “evidence-based, modifiable drivers of chronic diseases,” including ultraprocessed foods, industrial chemical exposure, physical inactivity, chronic stress, and what she termed “overmedicalization.”

Means is closely aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which has shifted its focus toward promoting healthy eating as midterm elections approach. This alignment was evident in her testimony as she praised the administration’s approach to healthcare reform.

“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have invited a mature, candid, grand conversation about how our medical education and fixing perverse incentives can pull us back from the brink, and for this, I am profoundly grateful,” she stated.

However, her nomination has drawn significant criticism. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, ranking member of the Senate health committee, expressed serious doubts about her suitability for the role. “I have very serious questions about the ability of Dr. Means to be the kind of surgeon general this country needs,” Sanders said during the hearing.

Means’ background includes a medical degree from Stanford University, but she dropped out of her surgical residency program at Oregon Health and Science University in 2018, citing disillusionment with what she called a “broken and exploitative” healthcare system. After obtaining her medical license based on her completed postgraduate training, she briefly operated a functional medicine practice in Oregon before co-founding Levels, a nutrition and health tracking app that incorporates blood tests and continuous glucose monitoring.

Her medical license is not currently active, raising questions about her qualifications for a role that traditionally includes leadership of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Former surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams highlighted this concern in May, noting on social media that the position typically requires an active medical license.

Financial disclosures reveal that Means earned hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting various health and wellness products, including specialty supplements, teas, elixirs, probiotics, and meal delivery services. An Associated Press investigation found instances where she recommended products without properly disclosing her financial interests.

In ethics filings submitted ahead of her confirmation hearing, Means pledged to resign from her position at Levels and divest her stock options in the company if confirmed. She also committed to stopping her work with Rupa, a specialty lab work company, though she would continue receiving royalty payments from her book “Good Energy” without actively promoting it.

The surgeon general serves as the nation’s doctor, empowered to issue advisories on public health threats and promote key health initiatives. If confirmed, Means would be tasked with advancing the administration’s agenda, which includes removing additives from foods, addressing conflicts of interest in federal agencies, and promoting healthier foods in school lunches and nutrition programs.

While Means has largely avoided embracing Kennedy’s controversial views on vaccines, she has called for additional safety investigations. Her brother, Calley Means, already works in the administration as a senior adviser to the Department of Health and Human Services, helping promote messaging about the dangers of ultraprocessed foods.

This marks the second surgeon general nomination for the administration, after the withdrawal of former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, who faced criticism from presidential allies. Means’ confirmation hearing was initially scheduled for October but was postponed when she went into labor on the day she was set to appear.

As the confirmation process moves forward, Means’ vision of addressing “reactive sick care” with preventive approaches will be weighed against concerns about her qualifications and past business practices.