Ala. doctor confirmed as surgeon general

October 30, 2009|Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The Senate yesterday confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin to be US surgeon general, elevating a well-known Alabama family physician to be the nation’s top doctor.

Benjamin, 53, was the first black woman to head a state medical society, received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, and just last fall received a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.’’

But she made headlines following Hurricane Katrina with her determination to rebuild her rural clinic in Bayou La Batre, Ala., which serves 4,400 patients who would be hard-pressed to find care elsewhere.

In nominating Benjamin, President Obama cited her experience with poor patients and her commitment to prevention and wellness programs.

“My hope . . . is to be America’s doctor, America’s family physician,’’ Benjamin said when Obama announced her nomination in July. “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.’’