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The Senate on Thursday confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the U.S. surgeon general, elevating a well-known Alabama family physician to be the nation's top doctor.
Benjamin, a recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, made her name in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, with her determination to rebuild her rural health clinic in Bayou La Batre, AL. Her effort helped almost 5000 disadvantaged patients to continue receiving health care.
President Barack Obama cited her experience with patients at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and her commitment to prevention and wellness programs as a way to head off diseases and complications that could be prevented.
"My hope is to be America's doctor, America's family physician," Benjamin said. "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."
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