President-elect Trump has announced his intended appointment of Janette Nesheiwat, MD, to be the next surgeon general, according to NPR. She is currently a medical director for CityMD and has contributed to Fox News. With a specialization in emergency and family medicine, she is known for supporting vaccine efforts with an emphasis on the balance of risk and benefit. CityMD merged with Summit Health and was ultimately acquired by VillageMD in early 2023 for $8.9 billion with investments from Walgreens Boots Alliance and Cigna’s Evernorth. It’s among the top 10 urgent care operators in the country in terms of locations.
The voice of urgent care in Washington: Industry observers are eager to see a federal leader who can represent urgent care and elevate its status as a specialized segment of the nation’s $4.5 trillion healthcare industry. “The Nesheiwat appointment as Surgeon General is big news for urgent care as we’ve lacked visibility among the highest ranks in Washington in the past,” says Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. “I think our participation in the COVID response would have played out differently had there been an understanding and awareness of urgent care at the highest levels.”