Kennedy names Stephanie Haridopolos interim surgeon
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- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed Stephanie Haridopolos as interim surgeon general via a staff email on Tuesday.
- Stephanie Haridopolos is a family medicine physician, senior adviser and chief of staff for the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, and now serves as director of health communications.
- Brian Christine used his delegation of authority powers as Assistant Secretary for Health to empower Haridopolos to perform the duties of surgeon general.
- Haridopolos will promote public health actions, advisories, and guidance until a Senate‑confirmed surgeon general is sworn in.
Why it matters: The appointment guarantees uninterrupted public‑health guidance while the department searches for a Senate‑confirmed surgeon general, benefitting Americans who rely on timely advisories and preventing a policy vacuum.
