WASHINGTON — A wellness entrepreneur and physician who champions Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again initiative will testify Wednesday before senators considering her nomination as the nation’s top doctor.
Dr. Casey Means, 38, will finally get her chance to address the Senate health committee after her original October hearing was postponed when she went into labor on the scheduled day. The Stanford-educated nominee plans to outline her approach to combating chronic illness by tackling underlying causes through nutrition and lifestyle modifications — a philosophy that aligns with the health department’s current emphasis on dietary improvements as midterm elections draw near.
However, Means is expected to encounter challenging questions regarding her credentials and possible financial entanglements. The physician’s frustration with conventional medicine led her to pursue ventures promoting various products, sometimes without revealing her potential financial gains.
The surgeon general serves as America’s chief health advocate, issuing public health warnings and guidance to both citizens and medical professionals. Should senators confirm her appointment, Means would champion Kennedy’s comprehensive MAHA platform, which seeks to eliminate thousands of food additives, eliminate conflicts within federal agencies, and improve nutrition in school meals and related programs.
While previous surgeons general have occasionally weighed in on vaccination matters — despite having no official vaccine policy authority — Means has largely avoided Kennedy’s discredited vaccine positions, though she has supported additional safety research.
Means brings no government service to the role, and her medical license remains inactive. Following her medical degree completion at Stanford University, she abandoned her surgical residency at Oregon Health and Science University in 2018, citing her view that the healthcare system was fundamentally flawed and exploitative.
She subsequently pursued alternative methods to address what she characterizes as widespread metabolic problems caused primarily by inadequate nutrition and excessive consumption of highly processed foods.
Having completed sufficient postgraduate training for medical licensure, she obtained one and established a functional medicine practice in Oregon, which eventually shuttered. She later helped launch Levels, a health-tracking application that monitors nutrition, sleep, and exercise while providing users with blood test results and continuous glucose data.
Financial disclosure documents reveal she earned hundreds of thousands of dollars endorsing wellness products, including specialized basil seed supplements, teas, elixirs, probiotics, and meal delivery services. An Associated Press review discovered that she sometimes failed to reveal potential financial benefits from these product recommendations.
According to ethics documentation, Means has committed to leaving her Levels position and surrendering stock options and shares if confirmed by the full Senate. She also promised to end her relationship with Rupa, a specialized laboratory company for which she created an online educational program. While she may continue receiving book royalties from “Good Energy,” she will cease promotional activities, the filing indicated.
The documentation further states she will “avoid acquiring direct financial stakes in companies appearing on the Food and Drug Administration’s prohibited holdings roster.”
Two former surgeons general have publicly questioned Means’ suitability for the position.
Former Bush administration surgeon general Dr. Rich Carmona wrote in a Hill op-ed last May that Means’ professional background “creates substantial concerns.” Shortly afterward, Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon general during Trump’s initial term, posted on social media platform X that leading the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps traditionally requires an active medical license.
Means would join an administration already employing her brother, Calley Means, who serves as a senior Health and Human Services Department adviser promoting the Republican administration’s warnings about highly processed foods.
Trump’s initial surgeon general selection, former Fox News medical contributor Janette Nesheiwat, withdrew her nomination following criticism from presidential allies. Means received her nomination last May.
