Stephanie E. Haridopolos, MD, DABFM

Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos is an award‑winning, board‑certified family medicine physician, medical writer, and public health advocate. She serves as the Director of National Health Communications for the Office of the Surgeon General, where she performs many of the duties of the U.S. Surgeon General, and as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health–Policy within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

In her current role, Dr. Haridopolos has led high‑impact national public health initiatives that have strengthened federal messaging, empowered families, and advanced health protections nationwide. She issued the Office of the Surgeon General’s Screen‑Time Advisory, warning of the health risks associated with excessive youth screen use, and launched the “Live Real Life” campaign, providing communities with tools to encourage healthier digital habits.

A passionate leader in the fight against rare diseases, Dr. Haridopolos has a long‑standing commitment to raising awareness, supporting affected families, and accelerating progress against conditions that often remain overlooked. She helped lead the successful addition of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Metachromatic leukodystrophy to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP)—a milestone expanding early detection and improving the health trajectory of children nationwide.

In May 2026, she appeared alongside Secretary Kennedy to elevate national attention on Lyme disease prevention and announce continued federal funding for the LymeX research innovation initiative, highlighting the Department’s commitment to gold-standard science and improving patient care.

With more than 20 years of medical experience, Dr. Haridopolos is a family physician focused on preventive and primary care, serving as a trusted medical home for her patients and empowering them with the knowledge needed to lead healthier lives.

Her dedication to public health was recognized when she was named Florida’s Outstanding Woman in Public Health 2024 by the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health—an honor highlighting her leadership as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation, which provides income‑based healthcare coverage for children across the state.

Dr. Haridopolos led a successful effort to expand eligibility for subsidized children’s healthcare coverage through Florida KidCare. Enacted as House Bill 121, the law created a glidepath that allows families to maintain subsidized coverage as their incomes rise, helping parents pursue financial stability without losing critical health support. She continues this work nationally through her leadership within the Office of the Surgeon General.

Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Haridopolos has been a strong advocate for patient‑centered legislation, including playing a pivotal role in Florida’s response to the opioid epidemic. She supported the enactment of Florida’s Pill Mill law, which imposed tighter regulations on pain management clinics and improved prescribing standards to curb the spread of opioid misuse.

She has contributed her expertise to numerous high‑profile public health commissions, including the Florida Department of Health’s Tobacco Advisory Council, the Statewide Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse and Newborns, and the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Foundation. Appointed by Governor Rick Scott in 2017, she served on the Florida Board of Medicine, chairing both the Rules and Legislation Committee and the Probation Committee, and participating in the South Probable Cause Panel. She is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Haridopolos has published several works throughout her career, but among her most notable are the peer‑reviewed article “Making Invisible Illnesses Visible,” which examines long COVID, Lyme disease, and ME/CFS, and a 2025 Newsweek opinion piece underscoring the lifesaving importance of newborn screening. She is also the author of “From Rigorous Science to Effective Policy: Bridging the Gap”, published earlier this year in Public Health Reports.

Dr. Haridopolos completed her residency at Albany Medical College in New York in 2002. She earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in 1998, where she completed didactic coursework in London, England. Dr. Haridopolos also earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Stetson University in Florida in 1994.