U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (3rd from right) with ACCESS officials.

DEARBORN — U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said the inclusion of Arab Americans on the census would help the federal government gather important data about the health needs of the community. 

Murthy met with Arab American researchers and medical professionals at ACCESS’ Community Health Center last week, as a part of the “Surgeon General’s House Call Listening Tour.” Murthy is meeting communities across the nation to assess their health needs and concerns. He held a press conference attended by ethnic media on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Kate Migliaccio, a public information officer for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, said the tour will also help Murthy encourage communities to work together and share solutions.

“We are reintroducing the brand of the surgeon general,” Migliaccio said. “He is the nation’s doctor and you’ve got to be able to trust that brand.”

Murthy said he discussed the issue of including Arab Americans on the census during his meeting at ACCESS.

He said the lack of data that we have on the Arab American community is an “important barrier” to understanding the health need and status of the community.

“I believe getting this kind of data is very valuable,” he added. “There are already discussions that are being had with the government about this. This is something that people are very interested in personally because they recognize that in order for us to meet the needs of our communities, we have to understand the specific health challenges they’re facing.”

Murthy, who was approved by the Senate two months ago, has visited dozens of communities across the country since he took office. 

He said the tour is helping him understand the medical challenges of Americans first-hand, describing the tour as “an extra ordinary experience.

“Part of my philosophy is that in order to solve the problems that we face, we need to understand them,” he said. “Understanding starts with listening, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Murthy cited diabetes, mental health problems and smoking as major health concerns he heard about in the Arab American community. He added that he discussed the widespread use of hookah during his meeting with health professionals at ACCESS.

“This has been a challenge, not just for the Arab American community but for other communities as well,” he said. “All forms of tobacco are a health challenge for the country right now.”

He said mental health issues are challenging because of the stigma associated with them.  

The surgeon general praised ACCESS for building the capacity to provide mental health care to the population. “But even they recognize that we need to do more, we need to build more, in order to meet the needs of the community,” he said.

The Arab American News asked Murthy about the health risks of pollution in southeast Michigan. The surgeon general replied that the federal government takes the dangers of pollution and global warming seriously.

“The Department of Health and Human Services has certainly considered the issue of climate change very carefully,” Murthy said. “The department considers climate change to be an important issue and a priority. This is an area where I am looking forward to working with my colleagues at the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s an important issue to this administration.”

The public’s diminished trust in the government has extended to medicine. For example, many parents are opting not to vaccinate their children, despite warnings from the government reassuring them that vaccines are safe and needed to prevent the spread of diseases. 

Murthy said he plans to gain the trust of the people by listening to them and sharing their concerns.

“Whether it’s around vaccination or around obesity or around many of the other challenges that we’re facing, we need to make sure that our public has access to credible high quality scientific information,” Murthy said. “Getting that information to the public is one of my most important tasks as surgeon general. It starts with establishing trust, with getting to know people and allowing them to know who I am and what my intentions are. My goal is to improve the health of the American people.”

Hassan Jaber, the executive director of ACCESS, said the surgeon general received a collective picture of the community’s needs after meeting Arab American health officials, professionals and researchers.

Murthy’s visit to Dearborn came two days after the Chapel Hill, N.C. shootings of three Arab Americans in a suspected hate crime. Jaber said Murthy expressed solidarity and support the community in the light of the attack.