Breast Radiologist Nominated for Surgeon General by President Trump

President Donald Trump has nominated breast radiologist Nicole Saphier, MD, to serve as Surgeon General.

Dr. Saphier is an associate professor of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and is the director of breast imaging at the MSKCC facility in Monmouth, N.J. Dr. Saphier has been a contributor to Fox News since 2018 and started hosting the iHeart Radio podcast “Wellness Unmasked” in 2025.

In announcing the nomination on the Truth Social platform, President Trump called Dr. Saphier a “star physician” and “incredible communicator, who makes complicated health issues more easily understood by all Americans.”¹

Dr. Saphier has had leadership and advisory roles with the New Jersey Department of Health, the Radiological Society of New Jersey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She has also been a member of the American College of Radiology’s Economics Committee on the Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act (MARCA).

“Dr. Saphier is a tireless advocate for women’s health who has worked to increase access to lifesaving cancer screenings, enable earlier cancer detection and ultimately save countless lives,” noted Dana H. Smetherman, MD, MPH, MBA, FACR, the CEO of the American College of Radiology (ACR), in a release issued by the ACR.

Amy Patel, MD, who has worked with Dr. Saphier on a variety of initiatives through the ACR and the Society of Breast Imaging over the years, said Dr. Saphier is a “hard-working steward” for radiology, and a “vociferous advocate” for women and breast health.

“I can honestly say (Dr. Saphier) is a fierce advocate for patient care and access, and I do feel she will apply that same intensity and expertise to public health as a whole. I feel honored to call her a friend and couldn’t be happier for her as if she’s confirmed, she will be the first radiologist to serve in this important capacity,” noted Dr. Patel, the chair of the ACR’s Radiology Advocacy Network and the Political Action Committee of the American College of Radiology Association (RADPAC).

A mother of three, Dr. Saphier has noted that her passion for early breast cancer detection stems from the loss of her grandmother to late-stage breast cancer.

“Driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others, I set my sights on a career in early cancer detection, determined to use my experiences to avoid late-stage cancer diagnoses so people wouldn’t suffer the way my grandmother did,” noted Dr. Saphier in a 2024 profile.²

Dr. Saphier has also published four books, including Love Mom: Inspiring Stories Celebrating Motherhood and Make America Healthy Again: How Bad Behavior and Big Government Caused a Trillion-Dollar Crisis.

References

1. Davis S. Who is Nicole Saphier, new Trump surgeon general nominee? The Hill. Available at: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5857814-nicole-saphier-surgeon-general-nominee/ . Published April 30, 2026. Accessed April 30, 2026.
2. Sherberg E. In her own words: Fox News’ Nicole Saphier went from teen mom to top doc. The Business Journals. Available at: https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategies/2024/06/in-her-own-words-nicole-saphier.html . Published June 4, 2024. Accessed April 30, 2026.