U.S.
Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced late Wednesday that she will step
down next month after four years in the post.
As
surgeon general, she promoted disease prevention, smoking cessation and healthy
lifestyles, particularly among minorities. Benjamin oversaw a report that
documented how smoking, even an occasional cigarette or secondhand smoke, can
cause immediate damage to the human body.
In
an e-mail to staff, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen
Sebelius said Benjamin should be "proud of her many achievements."
As
surgeon general, Benjamin chaired the National Prevention, Health Promotion,
and Public Health Council, which was created under the Affordable Care Act to
develop a strategy to improve access to care.
Prior
to her nomination, Benjamin served as CEO of the Bayou La Batre Rural Health
Clinic in Alabama, which she founded in 1990.
The
Alabama native was also the first African-American woman board member of the
American Medical Association, and served a term as chairwoman of the group's
Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.
Deputy
Surgeon General Boris D. Lushniak will serve as interim surgeon general until a
permanent pick is nominated.
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