Bill Frist, a prominent surgeon and former Republican Senate majority leader, is now a vocal advocate for environmental health. Frist’s medical career includes founding one of the nation’s busiest transplant centers. Remarkably, one of his patients held the Guinness World Record for the longest surviving single lung transplant recipient. In 1991, he performed a critical thoracic surgery on Gen. David Petraeus after a training mishap.
Today, Frist, at 74, has shifted his focus toward planetary health. He emphasizes the link between environmental health and human well-being. ‘A healthier planet means healthier people,’ says Frist. He supports this with scientific evidence and personal experiences, insisting there’s no room for dispute.
Frist uses various platforms to promote his message, including writings, videos filmed on his Tennessee porch, podcasts, public speeches, and congressional testimony. Through these, he underscores the interconnection between the health of our planet and humanity’s future.
Bill Frist, former Republican Senate Majority Leader, at his farm in New Castle, Va. Credit: Kirsten Luce for The New York Times