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Nominated by President Donald Trump on May 7, 2025, Means would become the nation’s top public health spokesperson if confirmed — despite never completing a medical residency and currently holding an inactive medical license.
Casey Means, a physician-turned-entrepreneur and prominent advocate of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, appears before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for her confirmation hearing as US surgeon general.
Nominated by Donald Trump on May 7, 2025, Means would become the nation’s top public health spokesperson if confirmed. Her nomination followed the withdrawal of Trump’s earlier pick, Janette Nesheiwat.
If approved, Means would oversee more than 6,000 members of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and serve as the federal government’s leading public health communicator.
Education and medical background
Means graduated from The Madeira School in 2005 before earning a bachelor’s degree in human biology with honors from Stanford University in 2009. She received her MD from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2014 and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
After medical school, she began a five-year otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at Oregon Health & Science University. However, she left the program six months before completion, citing stress and disillusionment with the US healthcare system. Without finishing residency, she did not become board-certified in a specialty. Her Oregon medical license became inactive on January 1, 2024.
Her incomplete residency and inactive license have emerged as central points of debate ahead of the hearing.
Business ventures
After leaving clinical medicine, Means entered the health technology and wellness sector. She founded Levels, a startup that uses continuous glucose monitors to track how food and lifestyle choices affect metabolic health. The company promotes the view that metabolic dysfunction is a primary driver of chronic disease.
She has also been listed as an investor or adviser in Truemed, founded by her brother Calley Means. The company helps certify certain wellness programs as medically necessary, enabling customers to use health savings accounts or receive tax advantages.
Means has monetized her social media presence through sponsorships for supplements and wellness products but has pledged to end such partnerships if confirmed.
In 2024, she co-authored Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, arguing that poor metabolic health underlies many chronic illnesses. She has called for removing ultra-processed foods from school lunches and reforming agricultural and health incentive systems.
Her messaging aligns closely with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda, and she served as an adviser during his 2024 presidential campaign.
Controversy
Means’ nomination has drawn strong support from Kennedy allies and sharp criticism from some public health experts.
She has questioned aspects of the childhood vaccine schedule and criticized the universal hepatitis B birth dose. Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics maintain that the CDC’s immunization schedule is safe and evidence-based.
Senators are expected to weigh whether Means represents a reform-oriented public health communicator — or an unconventional nominee whose background diverges significantly from past surgeons general.
The outcome of the hearing could shape the direction of US public health messaging for years to come.
English (US) ·