The neurologist who visited the White House eight times over an eight-month span evaluated President Biden for each of his annual physicals, the president’s doctor revealed late Monday.
In a letter released by the White House, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, confirmed that Dr. Kevin R. Cannard, an expert on Parkinson’s disease, was the “neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.
Dr. O’Connor stressed in his letter that Dr. Cannard’s findings have been made public each time he released the results of the president’s annual physical.
“President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,” Dr. O’Connor wrote.
He also said that the Feb. 28 physical found no signs of Parkinson’s disease, a stroke or any other neurological impairment.
Dr. O’Connor also offered a full-throated endorsement of Dr. Cannard’s work, saying he was chosen because he “is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist here at Walter Reed and across the Military Health System, with a very wide expertise.”
The letter comes just hours after White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tangled with reporters during a heated briefing over why the neurologist has been to the White House on a nearly monthly basis.
Ms. Jean-Pierre refused to answer reporters’ questions and insisted she could not even name the specialist because of privacy and security issues, even though Dr. Cannard’s name showed up in a public log of visitors to the White House.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s even in the log. I’m not going to do that from here. What I can share with you is the president has seen a neurologist for his physical three times,” she said.
Dr. Connor offered an explanation for the specialist’s frequent visits, saying Dr. Cannard has been seeing service members assigned to the White House for “a dozen years.”
“Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the [White House Medical Unit] as part of this general neurology practice,” Dr. O’Connor wrote.
“We value the contribution he has made across the many patients he has treated in support of the White House and its personnel over these years,” Mr. Biden’s physician said.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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