The health department is currently experiencing notable vacancies in its leadership roles. To mitigate this issue, Kennedy has named Stephanie Haridopolos as the interim surgeon general.
Haridopolos, who is a family medicine physician and serves as a senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will assume the responsibilities of surgeon general on a temporary basis.
This appointment comes at a critical time for the health department, as it seeks to stabilize its leadership amid ongoing public health challenges.