04.04.2025 09:50
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Turkish heart surgeon Mehmet Öz, whom President Donald Trump nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Öz, who is the first Turk to be appointed to this position, has drawn attention with his new image. It was noted that Mehmet Öz has dyed his hair blonde, resembling Trump.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Turkish heart surgeon Mehmet Öz, whom President Donald Trump nominated to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In the Senate vote, Öz received 53 "yes" votes against 45 "no" votes, thus being appointed as the CMS Director.
MADE HISTORY IN THE SENATE
Öz, who will manage the top institutions providing healthcare services to the elderly and low-income groups in the country, became the first Turk to be appointed to this position. CMS oversees the health insurance operations covering more than $1 trillion in annual spending for 160 million Americans. Medicare in the U.S. is a federal health insurance program that provides healthcare services to individuals aged 65 and older. Medicaid includes a federal and state joint program that provides health insurance services to low-income groups. The U.S. press noted that Öz's directorship coincided with a time when "health programs would enter a turbulent period" due to the federal downsizing experienced during the Trump administration. During this period, approximately 300 employees are expected to be laid off as part of efforts to reduce healthcare costs at CMS.
NEW IMAGE DREW ATTENTION
Mehmet Öz's new image, which made history in the Senate, drew attention. It was observed that Öz lightened his hair color or dyed it blonde, similar to President Donald Trump. Öz's new image had also attracted attention during the Senate Finance Committee session on March 14.
HIS FAMILY IS FROM KONYA
Mehmet Öz was born on June 11, 1960, in Cleveland, where his father Mustafa Öz, who is also a doctor and of Bozkır, Konya descent, worked. His mother is from the Shapsug branch of the Circassians. He graduated from Harvard University. His clinical specialties include minimally invasive heart surgery, cardiac surgery, heart valve and aortic surgery, adult heart transplantation, mechanical heart assistance, and coronary bypass. Mehmet Öz has conducted research related to minimally invasive heart surgery, complementary medicine, heart care outcome analysis, and heart transplantation.
WHO IS MEHMET ÖZ?
Mehmet Cengiz Öz, also known as Dr. Öz, is a Turkish-American television personality, doctor, author, and politician. He is a retired professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University. Öz grew up in Delaware as the son of a Turkish immigrant family and graduated from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Turkey, Öz completed 60 days of mandatory military training in the Turkish Army in the 1980s. This obligation was particularly applicable to Turkish citizens living abroad who wanted to maintain their citizenship. He later began his surgical residency at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in 1986. Öz became a surgical professor at Columbia University in 2001 and retired as a professor in 2018. In May 2022, Columbia University severed ties with Öz and removed his presence from their website.
In 2003, Oprah Winfrey was the first guest on the program "Second Opinion with Dr. Oz," which aired on the Discovery Channel. Öz also regularly appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," participating more than 60 times. In 2009, he launched a daily television program called "The Dr. Oz Show," focused on health and medical issues, in collaboration with Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television, which aired for a total of 13 seasons. However, Öz's promotion of alternative medicine, faith healing, and various paranormal beliefs, including pseudoscience, led to criticism from some medical publications and doctors.
Öz ran as a conservative Republican in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania and became the first Muslim nominated by one of the two major parties. Öz lost the election to Democratic candidate John Fetterman. In November 2024, he was announced as a candidate to serve as the director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, appointed by elected President Donald Trump.