President Donald Trump has nominated Jerome Adams as the next US surgeon general, Politico reports. Adams previously served as the Indiana state health commissioner and was appointed to that post by Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor.
An anesthesiologist, Adams was also an Indiana University School of Medicine faculty member, and Stat News adds that he has been an advocate for tackling the opioid crisis and had to confront the problem as health commissioner.
Adams "has extensive experience in healthcare and has worked on the front lines of public health in Indiana and his status as a working physician will serve him well in leading our nation's health promotion and disease prevention efforts," Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, tells the Associated Press.
In a tweet, Adams said that he feels "truly honored" to be nominated.
If confirmed, Adams would succeed Vivek Murthy, who was dismissed from the post in April. Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, a former nurse officer in the US Army, has been serving as acting surgeon general.