STAT: Public health experts are pressuring Biden to include health expertise in his Cabinet
“Prominent public health experts are pressuring President-elect Biden and his team to include a doctor or experienced health professional in the Cabinet — and growing increasingly alarmed this week that their warnings will go unheeded. Several former state and local health officials, leaders of public health advocacy groups, and representatives from physician groups have placed calls to contacts advising Biden, drafted formal correspondence to the transition, or, in the case of numerous physician groups, worked to draft open letters stressing the necessity for Biden to appoint high-ranking officials with medical expertise…” (Facher, 12/3).

USA TODAY: Health officials lay out wish list for Biden administration: Restore the CDC, prioritize health across the globe
“A who’s who of health officials published a commentary Wednesday outlining their wish list for the incoming Biden-Harris administration, starting with their desire for the U.S. to rejoin the global public health community. ‘A threat anywhere is a threat to all of us,’ said Dr. Michelle Williams, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an author of the commentary, published in The Lancet…” (Weintraub, 12/3).

Washington Post: Biden taps Murthy as nation’s top doctor, offers Fauci key role as covid team takes shape
“President-elect Joe Biden has selected a close adviser to help lead the nation’s response to the coronavirus crisis, tapping a veteran of the Obama administration to serve as America’s top doctor as the country suffers from a surging pandemic. Vivek H. Murthy, a former U.S. surgeon general, has been asked to reprise the role in an expanded version in the new administration, according to an individual familiar with the decision. … On Thursday, Biden told CNN that Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, would serve as a chief medical adviser and help his administration with its coronavirus response plan. Fauci, who served on President Trump’s coronavirus task force, has been attacked by the president in recent months as he has contradicted the White House’s message that the pandemic is under control and on the verge of disappearing…” (Olorunnipa/Goldstein, 12/3).