On episode 127 of The Quarantine Tapes, Paul Holdengräber is joined by Vivek Murthy. Vivek is a doctor and the former U.S. Surgeon General. His first book, Together: The Healing Power of Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, came out this spring and explores the topic of loneliness and public health.In their conversation, Vivek talks with Paul about what he has learned about the wide-reaching impact of loneliness in his medical career. Vivek argues for the need to get past the stigma around loneliness and the importance of prioritizing human connections. Finally, he offers his thoughts on the opioid crisis, the role of the surgeon general, and the recent endorsements of Joe Biden by the scientific community in the New England Journal of Medicine and more.Dr. Vivek H. Murthy served as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States appointed by President Barack Obama. As the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,600 public health officers globally. During his tenure, Dr. Murthy launched the TurnTheTide campaign, catalyzing a movement among health professionals to address the nation’s opioid crisis. He also issued the first Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, calling for expanded access to prevention and treatment and for recognizing addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw. An internal medicine physician and entrepreneur. In 2017, Dr. Murthy focused his attention on chronic stress and isolation as prevalent problems that have profound implications for health, productivity, and happiness. He has co-founded a number of organizations: VISIONS, an HIV/AIDS education program in India; Swasthya, a community health partnership in rural India training women as health providers and educators; software company TrialNetworks; and Doctors for America.Dr. Murthy received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard and his M.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Yale. He completed his internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and later joined Harvard Medical School as faculty in internal medicine. His research focused on vaccine development and later on the participation of women and minorities in clinical trials. Dr. Murthy resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife Dr. Alice Chen and their two young children. This spring Dr. Murthy’s first book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World was published by HarperCollins and made the New York Times Best Seller list.Credits:Paul Holdengraber - Co-Creator, Host, OLA DirectorAnthony Audi - Co-Creator, Researcher, OLA DirectorAlejandro Cohen - Co-Creator, Producer, ComposerChristian Pitt - Production Coordinator Erin Cooney - Copy, ProductionDublab Team