Obama Selects U.S. Surgeon General: Regina Benjamin

According to Reuters, "President Barack Obama has selected Dr. Regina Benjamin, an Alabama family physician, as the U.S. surgeon general." A quick search of "teh Google" tells me that this is an impressive individual. For instance, Benjamin is a 2008 MacArthur Fellow (aka, "genius award"). The MacArthur website describes her as having "a deep, firsthand knowledge of the pressing needs and health disparities afflicting rural, high-poverty communities" and as "a rural family physician forging an inspiring model of compassionate and effective medical care in one of the most underserved regions of the United States." Benjamin received her M.D. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and also holds an M.B.A. from Tulane University.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Dr. Benjamin's "extraordinary dedication and self-sacrifice have already won [her] national recognition." She was "the first African-American woman, and the first person under 40, to be elected to the American Medical Association," and is "a 1998 Mandela Award Winner."

In November 2008, US News & World Report named Dr. Benjamin one of "America's best leaders," citing her work "in advancing healthcare reform, pushing for better access for underserved communities through groups like the American Medical Association."

Finally, it's worth noting that Dr. Benjamin was the first physician under age 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected to American Medical Association's board of trustees.

As I said, this is an impressive pick.