Surgeon General: Dr Regina Benjamin

July 13, 2009

barry picks Dr REGINA BENJAMIN for Surgeon General. Here’s the White House press release.

With all the accomplishments listed why did the WH (and CNN) leave out the fact that Dr Benjamin served on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national advisory committees for Rx for Health and the Southern Rural Access Program and that she was also a trustee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation?

And it’s unclear how much actual hands on medical care she has done. With all of her accomplishments she did nothing more than a standard Family Practice residency.

Dr Regina Benjamin

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
July 13, 2009

President Obama Announces Nominee for Surgeon General

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Regina M. Benjamin as Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services.

President Obama said, “Health care reform is about every family’s health and the health of our economy. And if there’s anyone who understands the urgency of meeting this challenge in a personal and powerful way, it’s the woman who will become our nation’s next Surgeon General, Doctor Regina Benjamin. I look forward working with her in the months and years ahead.”

President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individual today:

Regina M. Benjamin, Nominee for Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services

Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, is Founder and CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

She is the Immediate Past-Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, and previously served as Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

In 2002, she became President of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, making her the first African American woman to be president of a State Medical Society in the United States.

Dr. Benjamin holds a BS in Chemistry from Xavier University, New Orleans. She was in the 2nd class [not second in her class] at Morehouse School of Medicine and received her MD degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, as well as an MBA from Tulane University. She completed her residency in family medicine at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.

Dr. Benjamin received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998, and was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in 1995, making her the first physician under age 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected.

Dr. Benjamin was previously named by Time Magazine as one of the “Nation’s 50 Future Leaders Age 40 and Under.” She was also featured in a New York Times article, “Angel in a White Coat”, as “Person of the Week” on ABC’s World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, and as “Woman of the Year” by CBS This Morning.

She received the 2000 National Caring Award which was inspired by Mother Teresa, as well as the papal honor Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from Pope Benedict XVI.

She is also a recent recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award.

Dr Sanjay Gupta will not be Surgeon General

March 5, 2009

His decision doesn’t seem to have anything to do with taxes (Geithner, Daschle, Killefer, Kirk) or pay to play (Richardson) or illegal aliens (Geithner) or other barry personnel problems.

Dr Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, as well as CNN personality, said it came down to his family - his wife is about to give birth to their third daughter - and his practice. He said it had nothing to do with money. If he took the job, his surgical career would essentially be over. He also works at a county hospital.

GUPTA: This is more about my family and my surgical career.

I think, for me, it really came down to a sense of timing more than anything else. I just didn’t feel I should do that now.

(Liz Banfield)

Dr Sanjay Gupta and wife Rebecca Olson Gupta, family law attorney

Dr Sanjay Gupta for Surgeon General?

January 7, 2009

Dr Sanjay Gupta is an excellent choice for Surgeon General. He was in the war zone and performed neurosurgeries on US soldiers and also Iraqi civilians, including on a toddler. He saved a Marine's life who was shot in the head and believe it or not is up walking and talking.

He is still a practicing neurosurgeon and has been on CNN as a regular contributor addressing a broad spectrum of topic to educate the public. He also is known to several generations including the original MTV generation and the present day 15 second attention span twits.

Perfect since the Surgeon General's main role is education and prevention but not necessarily a policy setter - although he was an advisor to First Lady Hillary Clinton. He is a TV celebrity, telegenic - People's most beautiful people, which seems a requirement nowadays, and of course checks off another one of barry's boxes. Years from now Dr Gupta will still be recognized by folks.

Really a simple straightforward pick.

What are the chances he can get barry to stop smoking? Addiction to Nicorette is still an addiction to nicotine and has medical consequences.