Obama nominates Dr. Regina Benjamin for Surgeon General
This post was submitted by Jamie Bence, one of WCF’s Summer 2009 Fellows.
President Barack Obama named Dr. Regina Benjamin as U.S. surgeon general in an announcement this morning at the White House. WCF applauds this appointment of a woman as the voice of the American medical community.
The White House cited an upcoming major overhaul of healthcare and Dr. Benjamin’s experience working with low-income patients as two reasons for her appointment.
In 2008, Dr. Benjamin was named a MacArthur Fellow for her work with underserved indigenous populations in the Bayou. She founded the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in 1990. Dr. Benjamin rebuilt her clinic twice after it was brought down by hurricanes in 1995 and 2005. She has treated many uninsured patients and frequently travels in Alabama and Louisiana to reach immobile patients.
If confirmed, Dr. Benjamin would be the fourth woman in U.S. history to hold that post. Stay tuned for news updates on Women and Politics as Dr. Benjamin faces confirmation hearings!
Tags: medicine, president obama, Surgeon general, white house
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