The President announced his nominee for the U . S . Surgeon General , Dr . Regina Benjamin , today at the White House .
at the White House
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The President announced his nominee for the U . S . Surgeon General , Dr . Regina Benjamin , today <m> at the White House </m> .
http : / / www . whitehouse . gov / blog / Dr - Regina - Benjamin - Nominee - for - Surgeon - General
Dr . Regina Benjamin : Nominee for Surgeon General
July 13 , 2009 12 : 49 PM EDT
The President announced his nominee for the U . S . Surgeon General , Dr . Regina Benjamin , today <m> at the White House </m> .
Dr . Benjamin has an extensive and distinguished career in medicine .
She is the Founder and CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Alabama , which aims to provide primary care to people of any age regardless of their financial situation .
She previously served as Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States , and as the Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine .
Additionally , she was chosen as President of the Medical Association of Alabama in 2002 , becoming the first African - American woman to be president of a state medical society .
She was also the first African - American woman and physician under 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees .
She received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998 , among other honors .
The President emphasized this experience in his remarks , chronicling her dedication to providing health care for her rural community in the face of adversity :
And that's why , even though she could have left the state to make more money as a specialist or as a doctor in a wealthier community , Regina Benjamin returned to Alabama and opened a small clinic in Bayou La Batre .
When people couldn't pay , she didn't charge them .
When the clinic wasn't making money , she didn't take a salary for herself .
When Hurricane George destroyed the clinic in 1998 , she made house calls to all her patients while it was rebuilt .
When Hurricane Katrina destroyed it again and left most of her town homeless , she mortgaged her house and maxed out her credit cards to rebuild that clinic for a second time .
She tended to those who had been wounded in the storm , and when folks needed medicine , she asked the pharmacist to send the bill her way .
And when Regina's clinic was about to open for the third time , and a fire burned it to the ground before it could serve the first patient , well , you can guess what Dr . Benjamin did .
With help from her community , she is rebuilding it again .
One disabled patient brought her an envelope with $20 inside .
Another elderly man said simply , "Maybe I can help .
I got a hammer . "
For nearly two decades , Dr . Regina Benjamin has seen in a very personal way what is broken about our health care system .
She's seen an increasing number of patients who've had health insurance their entire lives suddenly lose it because they lost their jobs or because it's simply become too expensive .
She's been a relentless promoter of prevention and wellness programs , having treated too many costly and - - diseases and complications that didn't have to happen .
And she's witnessed the shortage of primary care physicians in the rural and underserved areas where she works .
But for all that she's seen and all the tremendous obstacles that she has overcome , Regina Benjamin also represents what's best about health care in America - - doctors and nurses who give and care and sacrifice for the sake of their patients ; those Americans who would do anything to heal a fellow citizen .
As the President explained , through this personal experience working with the poor and uninsured , Dr . Benjamin understands firsthand the urgent need for health care reform .
As Surgeon General , she will be the people's health advocate , and will play a key role in health care reform .
In her remarks , Dr . Benjamin explained how she sees her role :
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 .