President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that heart surgeon and TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz would lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

“America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there is perhaps no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to make America whole again,” Trump said in a statement. “He is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor and world-class communicator who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades.”

The position of CMS administrator requires Senate confirmation.

Here’s what you need to know about Oz, his medical career, and some of the medical claims he’s made that have come under fire.

Is Oz a real doctor?

Oz graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine while simultaneously completing a Master of Business Administration degree at UPenn’s Wharton School of Business.

He completed his surgical training in cardiothoracic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital (Columbia Campus).

Previously, he was director of the Cardiovascular Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital and vice chairman and professor of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. His title was subsequently changed to Professor Emeritus of Surgery in 2018.

Medicine “was my calling,” Oz said in a 2010 Wharton Magazine profile. “I knew it from a very young age. I played a lot of sports growing up, and like many other athletes, I really enjoyed the challenge to use my hands, I just loved the idea of ​​being in a field where you could do that.

Oz began his TV career as a health expert on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” before joining “The Dr. Oz Show,” which ran from 2009 to 2022. The show ended when Oz made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

What would Oz perform as CMS administrator?

CMS administers the Medicare program, the federal health insurance program for people primarily age 65 and older.

The agency also works with state programs to administer Medicaid, health insurance for disabled and low-income Americans, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides low-cost coverage to children with families who do not qualify for Medicaid.

Oz has supported Medicare Advantage, which is run by commercial insurers and promoted by Trump. Project 2025 — a plan of conservative policy proposals proposed by the Heritage Foundation and not endorsed by Trump — has proposed Medicare Advantage as the default option for Medicare coverage.

Experts have said this could privatize the program and prevent people from getting care from doctors and hospitals that don’t accept Medicare Advantage.

In Tuesday’s announcement, Trump said Oz would work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president-elect to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees CMS.

What are the controversies of Dr. Oz from the past?

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oz promoted hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, as a COVID-19 treatment. Trump later praised the drug as a “game changer,” although medical researchers warned that more research was needed.

In June 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revoked emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, citing evidence that the recommended dose is unlikely to be effective against the virus.

Oz has also made previous statements indicating he endorsed the distribution of vaccines for children and expressing ambivalence toward a discredited theory that vaccines cause autism, a 2022 study found. In later episodes of his TV show Oz approve the vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella.

Oz also came under fire for its claims about certain “miracle products” to help consumers lose weight.

During a 2014 hearing before the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection, Commerce, Science and Transportation, then-Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri criticized Oz, claiming he played a role in “perpetuating” the scam.

“Featuring a product on your show creates what has become known as the ‘Oz effect,’ which dramatically boosts sales and prompts scammers to pop up overnight with false and deceptive advertising to sell questionable products,” she said. “While I understand that your message also focuses on basic things like healthy eating and exercise, I am concerned that you are mixing medical advice news and entertainment in a way that harms consumers.”

During the hearing, Oz defended his statements and said he believed in the benefits of the products he promoted on his show.

“I personally believe in the topics I talk about on the show. I study them passionately. I recognize that they often lack the scientific basis to present as fact. But nevertheless, I give my audience the advice I need.” I give my family these products, especially the ones you mentioned. I feel comfortable with that part.