Governor Jeff Landry has appointed Evelyn Griffin, MD, as Louisiana’s next surgeon general, NBC and CBS affiliate KALB reported Dec. 8.
The appointment comes after the state’s former surgeon general, Ralph Abraham, MD, was tapped as principal deputy director of the CDC Nov. 25.
Here are five things to know about Dr. Griffin and her appointment:
1. Dr. Griffin is an OB-GYN and was one of the first surgeons in the region to be trained in robotic surgery, according to the report.
2. She earned her medical degree at Ross University School of Medicine, a program based in Barbados and accredited in the Caribbean, according to the university’s website. She completed her residency at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.
3. Dr. Griffin practiced at a multispecialty clinic and hospital system for 15 years and is currently an obstetric hospitalist.
4. Dr. Griffin also serves on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, according to the Louisiana Illuminator, and has aligned with skeptical views on COVID-19 vaccines and anti-abortion stances. On Dec. 5, she sided with the majority in an 8-3 vote by the advisory panel to update decades-old guidelines for vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B. The majority vote calls for delaying vaccination until a child is two months old unless their mother has tested positive for the disease.
During the debate, Dr. Griffin connected hepatitis levels in the U.S. to immigration, saying that the U.S. has “had years of illegal immigration, undocumented people coming in from higher endemicity countries,” according to the Illuminator.
In another panel meeting in September, Dr. Griffin voted with the majority on a resolution recommending ending the use of a combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox for children under 4. Instead, the panel suggested physicians administer the vaccines separately.
5. Dr. Griffin has made statements in support of Louisiana’s abortion ban that went into effect in June 2022. In May 2024, she appeared before the Louisiana House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice to oppose a bill that would have removed a 15-year prison term and reduced a $200,000 fine for medical professionals who performed abortions.
