21st U.S. Surgeon General
Department of Health and Human Services
Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, is the 2023 recipient of the ASHP Board of Directors Award of Honor. The award recognizes people outside the discipline of pharmacy who have made extraordinary national or worldwide contributions to healthcare.
Murthy was confirmed by the US Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st surgeon general of the United States. As the nation's doctor, the surgeon general's mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources for the public. And as the vice admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Murthy commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations domestically and abroad.
While serving as 21st Surgeon General, Murthy is focused on drawing attention to and working across government to address a number of critical public health issues, including the growing proliferation of health misinformation, the ongoing youth mental health crisis, well-being and burnout in the health worker community, and social isolation and loneliness. Additionally, he serves as a key advisor to President Biden's COVID-19 pandemic response operation.
During his previous tenure as 19th surgeon general, under President Obama, Murthy created initiatives to tackle the country's most pressing public health challenges. The first surgeon general of Indian descent and the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service, he helped lead the national response to a range of health challenges, including the Ebola and Zika viruses, the opioid crisis, and the growing threat of stress and loneliness to Americans' physical and mental well-being. Murthy also continued the office's legacy on preventing tobacco-related disease, releasing a historic surgeon general's report on e-cigarettes and youth. And in 2016, he issued the first Surgeons general's report on alcohol, drugs, and health, in which he challenged the nation to expand access to prevention and treatment, and to recognize addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw.
Before his second confirmation, Murthy cochaired President-elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 Advisory Board from November 2020 to January 2021. Before entering government service, Murthy cofounded VISIONS, a global HIV/AIDS education organization; the Swasthya Project, a rural health partnership that trained women in South India to become community health workers and educators; TrialNetworks, a technology company dedicated to improving collaboration and efficiency in clinical trials; and Doctors for America, a nonprofit mobilizing physicians and medical students to improve access to affordable care. His scientific research has focused on vaccine development and the participation of women and minorities in clinical trials. And as an internal medicine doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital and at Harvard Medical School, Murthy cared for thousands of patients and trained undergraduates, medical students, and medical residents.
Raised in Miami, FL, Murthy received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard, his MD from the Yale School of Medicine, and his MBA from the Yale School of Management. A renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur, mango aficionado, and author of the bestselling book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, Murthy is today among the most trusted voices in America on matters of public health. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Alice Chen, and their 2 children
Monday, December 4, 2023
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM