Trump picks TV doctor Janette Nesheiwat as surgeon general

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday chose family medicine doctor and Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat to be surgeon general, again showing preference for a television personality as the face of the new administration.

"Dr Nesheiwat is a fierce advocate and strong communicator for preventive medicine and public health," Trump said in a statement. "She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare, and believes in empowering individuals to take charge of their health to live longer, healthier lives."

She treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, tended to victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Joplin tornadoes, and has worked for the Samaritan's Purse disaster relief organization providing care in Morocco, Haiti and Poland, Trump said.

Many Americans will know her as a Fox News contributor who has discussed issues such as the mpox strain, the effects of alcohol and drug use, or natural disaster relief. Trump has plucked a number of presidential appointments from Fox News programs, both in his first term from 2017-2021 and since being elected again on November 5.

Communication skills are important to the job's role as health educator, providing information on how to improve health and lower the risk of illness.

The job title became part of American culture in 1965 when cigarette makers were required to label packages with the surgeon general's warning that smoking was hazardous to health.

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