Barack Obama recently hinted that his choice for US Surgeon General may be Sanjay Gupta, a well known CNN correspondent.
So just who is Sanjay Gupta?
Where is he from?
What are his qualifications?
And what in the world does he have to do with Michael Moore?
Here is a quick guide to Sanjay…
Hometown: Novi, Michigan
Schooling: U of Michigan, Ann Arbor, undergrad biomedical sciences
U of Michigan Medical Center, M.D.
Fun Fact: Gupta was named one of the Sexiest Men of 2003 by People Magazine.
Career high: In December 2006, CBS News President Sean McManus negotiated a deal with CNN that will have Gupta file up to 10 reports a year for “The Evening News With Katie Couric” and “60 minutes” while remaining CNN’s chief medical correspondent and associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital.
Personal Life: On May 15, 2004, Gupta married fellow University of Michigan graduate Rebecca Sue Olson in Charleston, South Carolina. Olson is an Atlanta family law attorney. They have two daughters, Sage Ayla Gupta (born June 2005) and Skye Gupta (born January 2007). They live in Atlanta, Georgia.
Controversy: CNN’S Gupta vs. Michael Moore, controversy…or supposed-controversy: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/15/moore.gupta/index.html
World View Question: In an interview with World changing, Gupta was asked: In your opinion, what will be the major health questions of the next generation, both in the developed and the developing world?
Answer from Dr. Sanjay Gupta: The biggest questions will be how to get the lifesaving technology, techniques and wisdom that are available to a relatively small percentage of the world into the hands of the entire world. The question of access will have to be fully addressed and that affects both the developing and developed world. Someone once said to me that if the “cure for AIDS came in a glass of clean water,” we still wouldn’t be able to rid the world of AIDS. The problem is access and we have to solve it.
Creative City-building Ideas: World changing asked: Livable cities are a potent weapon in the fight against climate change, so making cities healthy and attractive places to live is a key strategy. If you were a member of the team planning a city or urban neighborhood, what amenities would you place nearby, and why?
Answer from Gupta: Too many of our cities are built with an eye toward commerce, instead of health. As a result, we have parking structures instead of parks and roads instead of walkways. There are plenty of examples where you can do both. Healthier cities are successful cities. I would focus on increasing the amount of green space, because it is good for the earth and for our own bodies. I might buy thousands of bikes, paint them a really ugly color (so people wouldn’t steal them…) and simply distribute them around a city. I would paint quarter mile markers on every walkway, so citizens could always have feedback on how far they are walking. I would also want to see urban gardens like they have in the south side of Chicago. Teaching my kids to garden would provide immeasurable rewards both for them and for their community.
What do you think of Gupta?
And is it right to have a press professional in a top government position?
