Louisiana's search for a new top health official has concluded. Governor Jeff Landry on Monday announced Dr. Evelyn Griffin as the state's new Surgeon General. Citing her wealth of clinical experience and commitment to public health, Griffin was lauded as the "exact right choice for this role” by Landry, as per an official news release on the Office of the Governor website.
Known for her dedication to maternal health and her efforts to strengthen the doctor-patient bond, Dr. Griffin enters the role with the endorsement of not just the Governor, the LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein also expressed his enthusiasm for the new appointment, “I’m excited to have Dr. Griffin as the new Surgeon General, and I know she will be dedicated and work incredibly hard," Greenstein said, highlighting her passion for educating the community on healthy living and nutrition, as stated by the Office of the Governor.
In a statement obtained by the official Office of the Governor website, Dr. Griffin shared her respect for her predecessors and her plans for the role, “I am deeply honored to step into this role. The outstanding leadership of Dr. Ralph Abraham, his dedication, vision, and steady guidance have shaped the Surgeon General Office that I now have the privilege to build upon." She pledged to uphold high standards "with humility to serve the great people of Louisiana" and expressed her commitment to informed consent and respecting individual rights.
Griffin, a board-certified obstetrician–gynecologist with a storied career that includes being among the first robotically trained gynecologic surgeons in her region, has spent over a decade working in various capacities in healthcare. Aside from her clinical accomplishments, she also serves on the Advisory Panel for Immunization Practices, which offers guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to her biography on the Office of the Governor website. Her focus, particularly on tackling issues like maternal morbidity and mortality, has to lead to her recognition as a progressive in the realm of preventative health care.
