President Barack Obama with surgeon general nominee Dr. Regina Benjamin. Image courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov
Today, President Obama nominated Dr. Regina Benjamin for surgeon general. She is a graduate of Xavier University, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the University of Alabama School of Medicine. To read her bio.
“My hope, if confirmed as Surgeon General, is to be America’s doctor, America’s family physician. As we work toward a solution to this health care crisis, I promise to communicate directly with the American people to help guide them through whatever changes may come with health care reform,” Benjamin said today while standing in the Rose Garden at the White House.
The rural family physician runs a medical clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., where many families are involved in commercial fishing or in some aspect of the seafood industry. When I heard the president repeat the name of the community, I thought it sounded familiar. Amidst the seriousness of the occasion, I had to chuckle because I believe it was mentioned in “Forrest Gump,” one of my favorite movies.
But I was quickly humbled after listening to her biography and later to her efforts to improve health care in rural Alabama and Mississippi.
Looking at her biography available on the White House and Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Web sites, she sounds like a very accomplished woman committed to giving voice to patients and finding innovative ways to link health care resources to those most in need. Among the honors she’s received is the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights for her dedication to serve indigent communities along the Gulf Coast.
