© Provided by USA Today Dr. Vivek Murthy

The White House administration on Friday dismissed U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, saying it is continuing the process of transitioning to new leadership.

“Today, Dr. Murthy, the leader of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was asked to resign from his duties as Surgeon General after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump Administration," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

"Dr. Murthy has been relieved of his duties as Surgeon General and will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps," the statement continued. "(Health and Human Services) Secretary (Tom) Price thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation. Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, who is the current Deputy Surgeon General, will serve as the acting Surgeon General and assume leadership of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.”

Trent-Adams, whose picture and name already were up on the surgeon general Twitter account Friday evening, has served in the Public Health Service Corps for more than 24 years, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. She previously was chief nurse officer for that agency, the deputy associate administrator for the HIV/AIDS bureau at the Department of Health and Human Services, and nurse officer in the Army.

Murthy, 39, was the 19th surgeon general of the United States. He was a native of the United Kingdom and a graduate of Harvard College as well as the Yale University schools of medicine and business. A vice admiral and research scientist, he is known for his concerns regarding emotional well-being. At a recent conference on behavioral health in Seattle, he said, "We forget some of the oldest medicines are love and compassion." On his web page, he describes himself as a "physician, entrepreneur, grassroots organizer, mango aficionado, dreamer."

He was confirmed on Dec. 14, 2014, and co-founded Visions, an HIV/AIDS educational program in India and the United States. He also co-founded Swasthya, a community health partnership in rural India.

Murthy could not immediately be reached.

Prior to now, Trent-Adams was deputy surgeon general and is a graduate of Hampton University as well as the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she earned a doctoral degree as well as a master of science in nursing and health policy.

Contributing: Jayne O'Donnell</s>Dr. Vivek Murthy announced on Friday that he has resigned from his post as U.S. Surgeon General.

"As my colleague Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams takes over as acting Surgeon General, know that our nation is in capable and compassionate hands," Murthy, a holdover from the Obama administration, wrote in a Facebook post.

As of Friday evening, Trent-Adams' photo had replaced Murthy's on the surgeon general's Twitter and Facebook pages, and her biography on the Surgeon General's website cited her new title.

In his Facebook post, Murthy wrote, "While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served."

But, he wrote, "For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story. I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve."

During her time as Deputy Surgeon General, Trent-Adams "advised regarding operations of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and communicated the best available scientific information to advance the health of the nation," reads her biography on the Surgeon General's website.

Trent-Adams also served as the Chief Nurse Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service from November 2013 through May 2016. In this role, she advised the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps nurse professionals.

And prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General, Trent-Adams was the Deputy Associate Administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).</s>(ABC) — U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy was removed from his post by the Trump administration and has been replaced temporarily by his deputy.

Murthy, an appointee of former President Obama, announced on Friday that he resigned.

A Department of Health and Human Services Spokesperson Alleigh Marré said in a statement to ABC News on Saturday that he was asked to step down.

“Dr. Murthy, the leader of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was asked to resign from his duties as Surgeon General after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump Administration,,” said Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Alleigh Marré in the statement.

The statement continued, “Dr. Murthy has been relieved of his duties as Surgeon General and will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps. Secretary [Tom] Price thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation,”

Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, a nurse who served as Murthy’s deputy, will serve as the acting Surgeon General, according to the statement.

Murthy, a physician, began serving in the post in December 2014.

He wrote in a Facebook post announcing his departure, “While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served.”

He continued, “For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the president to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story. I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve.”

“As my colleague Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams takes over as acting Surgeon General, know that our nation is in capable and compassionate hands,” Murthy wrote.

As of Friday evening, Trent-Adams’ photo had replaced Murthy’s on the surgeon general’s Twitter and Facebook pages, and her biography on the Surgeon General’s website cited her new title.

In addition to her duties as deputy Surgeon General, Trent-Adams also served as the chief nurse officer of the U.S. Public Health Service from November 2013 through May 2016. In this role, she advised the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the recruitment, assignment, deployment, retention, and career development of Corps nurse professionals.

Prior to joining the Office of the Surgeon General, Trent-Adams was the deputy associate administrator for the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration.</s>Indian-American Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, appointed by the previous Obama regime, has been asked to step down by the Trump administration to put its own leadership in place. “Today, Murthy, the leader of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was asked to resign from his duties as Surgeon General after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump administration,” the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Friday. “Murthy has been relieved of his duties as Surgeon General and will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps,” the statement continued.

Murthy, 39, the 19th Surgeon General and the first Indian American to hold this position said in a Facebook Post that it was an honour and privilege to work for this prestigious position. “For the grandson of a poor farmer from India to be asked by the President to look out for the health of an entire nation was a humbling and uniquely American story. I will always be grateful to our country for welcoming my immigrant family nearly 40 years ago and giving me this opportunity to serve,” he said.

Murthy has been replaced by Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, who is the current Deputy Surgeon General. “(Health and Human Services) Secretary (Tom) Price thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation. Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, who is the current Deputy Surgeon General, will serve as the acting Surgeon General and assume leadership of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps,” the official statement said.

Interestingly, Murthy is the second Indian-American to be removed by the Trump administration from a senior position. The first one was the US Attorney from New York Preet Bharara who was fired after he refused to resign.

“As my colleague Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams takes over as Acting Surgeon General, know that our nation is in capable and compassionate hands. Thank you, America, for the privilege of a lifetime. I have been truly humbled and honoured to serve as your Surgeon General. I look forward to working alongside you in new ways in the years to come,” he wrote on his Facebook Post.

“While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served,” he said. “The role of the Surgeon General is traditionally to share wisdom with others, but it was I who learned so much by listening to your stories in town halls and living rooms. In a remote fishing village in Alaska, a church in Alabama, an American Indian reservation in Oklahoma, a school in Virginia, and in so many other places, I watched the grit and grace with which our fellow Americans live their lives,” he said.

Murthy was confirmed by the Senate by 51 to 43 votes in December 2014, despite stiff resistance by the pro-gun lobby led by the National Rifle Association. The Surgeon General is appointed for a four year term. At 37, he was the youngest ever Surgeon General.

Murthy’s parents are originally from Karnataka, India. He was born in Huddersfield, England and the family relocated to Miami, Florida when he was three years old. He received an MD from the Yale School of Medicine and an MBA in Health Care Management from the Yale School of Management.

He is currently a practicing physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as the Hospitalist Attending Physician and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Friday he has been replaced, a little more than two years after he was confirmed under President Barack Obama.

In a statement posted to Facebook, the 39-year-old Murthy said he "was blessed to have an extraordinary team of dedicated public servants who became my colleagues and friends" and highlighted the work done by his office to address addiction in the United States.

"Thank you, America, for the privilege of a lifetime," Murthy said. "I have been truly humbled and honored to serve as your Surgeon General."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services told The Associated Press Murthy was asked to resign after "assisting in a smooth transition" under President Donald Trump.

Murthy was the first Indian-American appointed to the nation's top health post when he was confirmed by the Senate in December of 2014, a year after he was nominated.

He said Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, the current deputy surgeon general, will serve as acting surgeon general. The official page of the U.S. Surgeon General has been updated with her in that role.

Murthy, in a landmark report on addiction released in November, said dependency on opioids and other substances must not be looked on as a "character flaw," in the first publication from a surgeon general that has addressed drug and alcohol addiction.

"We will only be successful in addressing addiction — and other illnesses — when we recognize the humanity within each of us. People are more than their disease. All of us are more than our worst mistakes," Murthy said in his statement. "We must ensure our nation always reflects a fundamental value: every life matters."

Murthy was nominated by Obama in 2013, and was narrowly confirmed by the Senate after fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates, who argued he would use the office to advocate for changing the nations' firearms laws; Murthy had spoken out for mandatory gun-safety training and an assault weapons ban.

Republicans, and some Democrats, also objected to Murthy for his previous political activism, such as when he co-founded Doctors for Obama in 2008.

Murthy replaced Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, who took over after Surgeon General Regina Benjamin finished her term in 2013.

Murthy, a former doctor and instructor at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of president of Doctors for America, in 2011 had been appointed by Obama to serve on an advisory panel on integrative public health that was created under the Affordable Care Act.

Murthy pointed to his background as the grandson of a poor farmer from India in what he called the "humbling" experience of being chosen as the nation's top health official. He called it a "uniquely American story."

"While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served," Murthy said.</s>U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, center, after he is ceremonially sworn-in in Conmy Hall at Fort Myer, Wednesday, April 22, 2015, in Arlington, Va. Andrew Harnik / AP

Murthy was the first Indian-American appointed to the nation’s top health post when he was

confirmed by the Senate in 2014, a year after he was nominated.

He said Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, the current deputy surgeon general, will serve as acting surgeon general. The official page of the U.S. Surgeon General has been updated with her in that role.

landmark report on addiction released in November said dependency on opioids and other substances must not be looked on as a “character flaw,” in the first publication from a surgeon general hat has addressed drug and alcohol addiction.

“We will only be successful in addressing addiction — and other illnesses — when we recognize the humanity within each of us. People are more than their disease. All of us are more than our worst mistakes,” Murthy said in the statement. “We must ensure our nation always reflects a fundamental value: every life matters.”

was nominated by Obama in 2013, and was narrowly confirmed by the Senate after fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates, who argued he would use the office to advocate for changing the nations’ firearms laws; Murthy had spoken out for mandatory gun-safety training and an assault weapons ban.

Republicans, and some Democrats, also objected to Murthy for his previous political activism, such as when he co-founded Doctors for Obama in 2008.

Murthy replaced Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak, who took over after Surgeon General Regina Benjamin finished her term in 2013.

Murthy, a former doctor and instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of president of Doctors for America, in 2011 had been appointed by Obama to serve on an advisory panel on integrative public health that was created under the Affordable Care Act.

Murthy pointed to his background as the grandson of a poor farmer from India in what he called the “humbling” experience of being chosen as the nation’s top health official. He called it a “uniquely American story.”

“While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served,” Murthy said.</s>The Trump Administration asked Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to resign, calling his departure a continuation of the transition between the two presidential administrations.

Murthy was replaced by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, a nurse who currently serves in an acting role. The official Twitter and Facebook accounts for the surgeon general have been changed to reflect the replacement.

"Dr. Murthy has been relieved of his duties as Surgeon General and will continue to serve as a member of the Commissioned Corps," a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services said, according to USA Today . The department said Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price "thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation," USA Today reports.

Murthy was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2014. Murthy confirmed his departure from the role in a Facebook post , in which he outlined his greatest lessons and accomplishments from his tenure and thanked his colleagues and family.

"While I had hoped to do more to help our nation tackle its biggest health challenges, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have served," Murthy wrote.

Murthy was known for his strong stance on gun violence, calling it a public health threat. In fact, the National Rifle Association came out against Murthy and advised the Senate not to confirm him in 2014.

Murthy was the 19th surgeon general of the United States. A graduate from Harvard College and Yale University, Murthy co-founded Visions, an educational program for HIV/AIDS in the United States and India.

A representative from the Department of Health and Human Services has not responded to request for comment.</s>U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a physician advocate for the Affordable Care Act appointed by former President Barack Obama, was abruptly removed from the post by the Trump administration Friday.

He was replaced by his deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, who will serve as acting Surgeon General, according to the Surgeon General’s website and Twitter account.

According to her official biography, Trent-Adams has been a longtime commissioned nurse in the U.S. Public Health Service, serving as its chief nurse officer and in other jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Dr. Murthy, the leader of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was asked to resign from his duties as Surgeon General after assisting in a smooth transition into the new Trump administration,” said Alleigh Marré, the HHS spokeswoman.

As late as Friday morning, the Surgeon General’s Twitter account had been promoting Murthy’s work, including a “virtual field trip” he was to host on Tuesday for schools about the risks of electronic cigarettes.

An expanded version of this report appears at WSJ.com.

First class vs. last class? Airlines bolster premium cabin, skimp on economy</s>WASHINGTON — Surgeon General Vivek Murthy was asked to resign by the White House on Friday after assisting in the transition to the Trump administration.

Dr. Murthy’s deputy, Rear Adm. Sylvia Trent-Adams, will assume the position of acting surgeon general. Trent-Adams, a 24-year veteran of the corps, also served as its chief nurse officer and as deputy associate administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services’ HIV and AIDS bureau.

The department’s spokeswoman, Alleigh Marré, noted Murthy’s aid to the transition in a statement on his resignation, saying, “Secretary [Tom] Price thanks him for his dedicated service to the nation.”

Murthy, who will continue as a member of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, was appointed as surgeon general in 2014. During his tenure, he led efforts to stymy the growing opioid epidemic, cautioning US doctors in a public letter about their prescription of painkillers.

“The results have been devastating,” Murthy wrote. He also sounded the alarm on teen e-cigarette use, which he said increased 900% among high school students from 2011 to 2015. He was opposed by Republican senators during his confirmation over his position on gun violence, which he called a public health issue.

The White House referred a request for comment on Murthy’s resignation to HHS.</s>Once again, nothing makes sense in the Trump White House....

Late Friday the Trump White House sought and received the resignation of Vivek Murthy, who has been Surgeon General of the United States since 2014. His term ends in 2018.

And here's the deal: Trump doesn't have a replacement lined up for Murthy. The job will be held "temporarily" by a nurse, "acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams."

Axios suggests Murthy made enemies with certain lobbyists in expressing opposition to e-cigarettes and wanting science and stuff to determine how vaping devices are regulated.

I suggest this was a well-timed spite firing on the eve of the March for Science.
The White House dismisses U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in its continuing transition from the prior presidential administration. The current Deputy Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, will serve as the acting SG.