Benjamin is a former associate dean for rural health at the College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama,where she administered the Alabama AHEC program and previously directed its Telemedicine Program. She served as the president of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) in 2002. In 1995,she was elected to the board of trustees of the American Medical Association,making her both the first physician under age 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected. She also served on the Board of Trustees of Florida A &M University,appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush.[7] From 2008 to 2009,she served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Federation of State Medical Boards,a national non-profit organization representing the 70 medical and osteopathic boards of the United States and its territories.[8]
Benjamin is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She was a Kellogg National Fellow and also a Rockefeller Next Generation Leader. She has served on boards and committees including the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured;Catholic Health East;Medical Association of the State of Alabama;Alabama Board of Medical Examiners;Alabama State Committee of Public Health;Mobile County Medical Society;Alabama Rural Health Association;Leadership Alabama;Mobile Area Red Cross;Mercy Medical;Mobile Chamber of Commerce;United Way of Mobile;Physicians for Human Rights;[9] and Deep South Girl Scout Council.[10]
She was appointed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act Committee and to the Council of Graduate Medical Education,and she is also a member of the "Step 3 Committee."[10] In Alabama,she formerly served as vice president of the Governor's Commission on Aging,and also formerly as a member of the Governor's Health Care Reform Task Force and the Governor's Task Force on Children's Health.[10]
She was a paid consultant for Burger King,contracted to provide nutritional advice on their offerings.[11]
Benjamin's clinic was destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and in 2006 by a fire on New Year's Day,one day before the scheduled reopening. She made headlines when she rebuilt the clinic a second time.[6]
On March 10,2016,it was announced that Benjamin will chair the National Kidney Foundation's CKDinsight summit. The summit is slated for fall of 2016,and it's a component of the National Kidney Foundation's new CKDintercept program,a multi-year initiative that aims to elevate chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosis and management to the front lines of preventive health in the U.S. health system. In addition to Dr. Benjamin,the list of invited stakeholders includes,but is not limited to,medical professional groups,large healthcare systems,laboratory services,advocacy groups,technology industry experts,and government and retail insurers. They will meet to develop innovative approaches to overcoming the obstacles that inhibit timely diagnosis of kidney disease.[12] The goal of the meeting is to generate a clear,cohesive strategy that will create a roadmap for change that will elevate the national perception of kidney disease and create a culture where early detection is a priority.
In July 2016,Benjamin joined the Board of Directors of Darkness to Light,[13] a national nonprofit advocate for child sexual abuse prevention. "This is not simply an issue for one family or community –it is a public health issue that affects society as a whole," Benjamin has said of the issue of child sexual abuse.
Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic
Benjamin is founder and CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic in Bayou La Batre,Alabama,a small shrimping village along the Gulf Coast. Benjamin was the subject of a Reader's Digest article that chronicled her efforts to rebuild the clinic after Hurricane Katrina.[14]
Surgeon General of the United States
Benjamin accepting President Obama's nomination for U.S. Surgeon General in July 2009.
Benjamin accepted the President's nomination,and made clear her dissatisfaction with the current health care system,in terms of accessibility as well as cost.[1] Also in accepting her nomination,Benjamin described her own hardships faced by disease and illness in her own family. She noted the deaths of her brother,who died of HIV,as well as her father,who died of high blood pressure and diabetes,and her mother who died of lung cancer,all of which,she implied,were "preventable diseases."[21]
In January 2010,Benjamin released her first document,entitled "The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation." In it she highlighted the alarming trend of overweight and obese Americans,and offered a blueprint for grassroots efforts to make changes that promote the health and wellness of families and communities.[22] Her work in this area has continued. One program encouraged women of color to exercise more and not skip the gym for fear of "messing up their hair" gave $5,000 to the winner of a healthy hair and fitness competition. This was detailed in an NPR interview.[23] During the course of this interview several other programs were discussed,including the campaign against obesity,and the "Million Hearts" campaign to prevent one million heart attacks each year.
On January 20,2011,Dr. Benjamin issued The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,which was a science-based summary document intended to stimulate action on improving breastfeeding rates in the United States.[24] It called on all sectors within society to remove barriers to breastfeeding and likewise increase breastfeeding initiation,duration,and exclusivity –which had been the subject of public health campaigns for over three decades prior. Not only did this document provide action items and detailed implementation strategies,but it also recognized the support of family members,communities,clinicians,healthcare systems,and employers as crucial elements to breastfeeding success stories. Section 1,The Importance of Breastfeeding,featured information regarding excess health risks to mothers and their children associated with not breastfeeding,as well as economic and environmental benefits for choosing to breastfeed. Section 2,Rates of Breastfeeding,provided information on national trends in breastfeeding rates,and highlighted the persistent disparities observed in breastfeeding practices. Section 3,Barriers to Breastfeeding in the United States,identified deficits in knowledge,social and marketing pressures,insufficient support from family and friends,over-sexualization of female breasts,addressing problems with lactation,returning to work and finding suitable childcare,as well as fragmented healthcare services and the adoption of policies or routine practices that interfere with breastfeeding initiation,duration,and exclusivity. Section 4,Breastfeeding from the Public Health Perspective,organized the gaps in knowledge,cultural influences,clinical inconsistencies,challenges,and unanswered questions across the entities best positioned to address the issues identified. Section 5,A Call to Action,delineated responsibilities to each sector in society and provided the implementation strategies needed to achieve the nation’s goals for breastfeeding. There were 20 action items and 52 recommended implementation strategies.[25]
In September,2012,Surgeon General Benjamin issued "The 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention,a report from the U.S. Surgeon General and the Action Alliance". This report discussed 13 goals and 60 objectives for reducing suicides over the next 10 years. In 2002,Surgeon General David Satcher launched the first National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.[26][27]
Benjamin resigned from the position of U.S. Surgeon General on July 16,2013.[28]
Criticism
Her political support for abortion access had been cited as a source of controversy,since Benjamin is a Catholic and the Catholic Church opposes such access. However,she has also received an award from Pope Benedict XVI.[29] Benjamin also sits on the board of the Catholic Health Association[30] and is active in her local church.[31] Benjamin served on the board of trustees of the Catholic Health Association. She was endorsed by Lloyd Dean,the president of Catholic Healthcare West,the largest hospital system in California,who issued a statement saying he was "delighted" by her nomination.[32]
During her confirmation process,critics also sought to make Benjamin's personal weight a source of controversy.[33][34]
The New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman said that Benjamin,"like most of her predecessors",avoided controversy,and avoided criticizing industry. The 2010 report,he said,blames "the victims" for eating too much and not getting enough exercise,while ignoring the marketing of junk food,and the scientific evidence for the contribution of sugar-sweetened food to obesity.[35]
Awards
In 1998,she was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights.[6]
Benjamin was named by TIME magazine as one of the "Nation's 50 Future Leaders Age 40 and Under." She was featured in a New York Times article,"Angel in a White Coat," and was chosen "Person of the Week" by ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings,"Woman of the Year" by CBSThis Morning,and "Woman of the Year" by People Magazine. She was also featured on the December 1999 cover of Clarity Magazine and received the 2000 National Caring Award,which was inspired by Mother Teresa.[10]
In 2008,Benjamin was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News &World Report.[37] In September 2008,she was one of that year's class of 25 in the MacArthur Fellows Program,nicknamed the "Genius Awards," receiving a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation that would have been worth $500,000 over the course of five years.[38] However,as a federal employee,she had to stop accepting the MacArthur Fellows stipend when she accepted the position as Surgeon General.[5]
On Saturday,May 15,2010,Dr. Benjamin received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science at Tulane University Commencement.
On October 7,2010,she received the Trumpeter Award from the National Consumers League recognizing her years of service to improving the nation's health.
On May 28,2011,she received an honorary degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,after which she delivered the address for the school's 205th commencement.
On May 18,2012,she received an honorary degree of Doctorate of Science from the University of Rochester Medical Center's School of Medicine and Dentistry. She also delivered the commencement address.
Infant formula,also called baby formula,simply formula,baby milk or infant milk,is an ultra-processed food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age,usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid. The U.S. Federal Food,Drug,and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines infant formula as "a food which purports to be or is represented for special dietary use solely as a food for infants by reason of its simulation of human milk or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk".
Bayou La Batre is a city in Mobile County,Alabama,United States. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census,the population was 2,204,down from 2,558 at the 2010 census.
Antonia Coello Novello is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator. She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as 14th Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993. Novello was the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as Surgeon General. Novello also served as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York from 1999 to 2006. Novello has received numerous awards including more than fifty honorary degrees,was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2000,and has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG),which is housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.
David Satcher,is an American physician,and public health administrator. He was a four-star admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the 10th Assistant Secretary for Health,and the 16th Surgeon General of the United States.
William Crawford Gorgas KCMG was a United States Army physician and 22nd Surgeon General of the U.S. Army (1914–1918). He is best known for his work in Florida,Havana and at the Panama Canal in abating the transmission of yellow fever and malaria by controlling the mosquitoes that carry these diseases. At the time,his strategy was greeted with considerable skepticism and opposition to such hygiene measures. However,the measures he put into practice as the head of the Panama Canal Zone Sanitation Commission saved thousands of lives and contributed to the success of the Canal's construction.
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is a private medical school in Atlanta,Georgia. Originally a part of Morehouse College,the school became independent in 1981.
Health promotion is,as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion,the "process of enabling people to increase control over,and to improve their health."
Bernadine Patricia Healy was an American cardiologist and the first female director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Hulda Regehr Clark was a Canadian naturopath,author,and practitioner of alternative medicine. Clark claimed all human disease was related to parasitic infection,and also claimed to be able to cure all diseases,including cancer and HIV/AIDS,by "zapping" them with electrical devices which she marketed. Clark wrote several books describing her methods and operated clinics in the United States. Following a string of lawsuits and eventual action by the Federal Trade Commission,she relocated to Tijuana,Mexico,where she ran the Century Nutrition clinic.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine is a public medical school located in Birmingham,Alabama,United States with branch campuses in Huntsville,Montgomery,and at the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences in Tuscaloosa. Residency programs are also located in Selma,Huntsville and Montgomery. It is part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Case Western Reserve School of Medicine is the medical school of Case Western Reserve University,a private research university in Cleveland,Ohio. It is the largest biomedical research center in Ohio. CWRU SOM is primarily affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic,ranked the world’s second-best hospital in 2023. It is also affiliated with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Breastfeeding,or nursing,is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast,or may be pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby's life and continue as often and as much as the baby wants. Health organizations,including the WHO,recommend breastfeeding exclusively for six months. This means that no other foods or drinks,other than vitamin D,are typically given. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life,followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years and beyond. Of the 135 million babies born every year,only 42% are breastfed within the first hour of life,only 38% of mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months,and 58% of mothers continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years and beyond.
Helene D. Gayle is an American physician who has served as the president of Spelman College since 2023. She formerly served as CEO of the Chicago Community Trust,one of the nation's leading community foundations.
Brigadier General Carmelita Vigil-Schimmenti is a retired officer of the United States Air Force,who in 1985 became the first Hispanic female to attain the rank of Brigadier General. Vigil-Schimmenti was the Chief of the United States Air Force Nurse Corps,Office of the Surgeon General;Headquarters U.S. Air Force,Washington,D.C.
A lactation consultant is a health professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certifies lactation consultants who meet its criteria and have passed its exam.
Vivek Hallegere Murthy is an American physician and a vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps who has served as the 19th and 21st surgeon general of the United States under Presidents Obama,Trump,and Biden. Murthy is the first surgeon general of Indian descent,and,during his first term as surgeon general,he was the youngest active duty flag officer in federal uniformed service.
The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is an international,faith-based NGO,providing long-term,co-operative medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and healthcare issues. It was established in 1912 and officially registered in 1928. CMMB is headquartered in New York City,USA,and currently has country offices in Haiti,Kenya,Peru,South Sudan,and Zambia.
Erica G. Schwartz is a retired U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps rear admiral who last served as the deputy surgeon general of the United States from January 2019 to April 2021. As a Commissioned Corps officer,she served with the U.S. Coast Guard as their Chief of Health Services and Chief of Preventive Medicine at the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters and became its principal expert on flu pandemics. Prior to becoming Deputy Surgeon General,she served as the Coast Guard's Chief Medical Officer from 2015 to 2019. She retired in April 2021 after over 27 years of combined uniformed service.
This is a timeline of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and its predecessor,the Marine Hospital Service.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
USPHS Regular Corps Ribbon 
United States 
Public Health Service 
Vice Admiral 
