Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, former United States Surgeon General and current Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Board Member, has been honored with Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine’s (KPSOM) very first honorary degree. The presentation took place during the school’s commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025 earlier this week.
“KPSOM is honored to confer the school’s first honorary degree, a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition of Dr. Benjamin’s outstanding contributions to the medical field,” said John L. Dalrymple, MD, KPSOM Dean and CEO. “From her early career founding and sustaining a rural health clinic in Alabama, to her leadership role in the worldwide advancement of preventive health care, to her service to the country as ‘America’s Doctor,’ Dr. Benjamin has been recognized throughout the fields of health care and public health. Her leadership and service have inspired countless physicians and public servants, and it is with great pride that we acknowledge her contributions in this way.”
Benjamin served as the 18th United States Surgeon General from 2009 to 2013. She is founder and CEO of BayouClinic/Gulf States Health Policy Center in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and her influence within the health sphere centers largely on the advancement of preventive healthcare nationally and internationally. She was the first person under age 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees and became the first African American female president of a state medical society in the U.S. when she assumed leadership of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama in 2002.
She previously served as Associate Dean for Rural Health at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Chair of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, President of the American Medical Association (AMA) Education and Research Foundation, and Chair of the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs. Benjamin received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights in 1998 and the National Caring Award, inspired by Mother Teresa, in 2000.
At the commencement ceremony, officials from KPSOM and Kaiser Permanente praised Benjamin’s history of service.
“Dr. Benjamin founded a rural health clinic in Alabama, which was severely damaged by two hurricanes over the years, and she was noted for continuing to work and make house calls during those times of disaster,” said Greg Adams, Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals. “[Her] expertise spans a wide range of areas, including prevention policies, health promotion, and addressing health disparities. She's been a tireless advocate for battling obesity, particularly childhood obesity, and improving children's physical and mental health … Her compassion, her pioneer achievements, and unwavering commitment to underserved communities serves as a model of excellence for all of us.”
