US Surgeon General nominee Casey Means completed her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, February 25, 2026[3]. Means is a wellness entrepreneur with a medical degree from Stanford who was nominated by President Trump for the position in May after his original nominee withdrew[4]. During the two-hour hearing, she focused on the rise of chronic diseases and the need to "restore the wholeness of Americans — physically, mentally and socially"[3]. Senator Bill Cassidy repeatedly asked her about her position on vaccinations and shared decision-making between pediatricians and parents[3]. Means confirmed that she accepts the scientific evidence about the safety of vaccines, but at the same time declared that "science is never closed"[3]. Her nomination was praised by leaders of the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, including activist Vani Hari, who called her a "missing piece of the puzzle" within HHS leadership.[4]