This month on Danforth Dialogues, we are honored to welcome Dr. Regina Benjamin, the 18th United States Surgeon General who served during the Obama administration. A trailblazer in public health and health equity, Dr. Benjamin brings decades of experience and national leadership to the conversation.

A native of Alabama, Dr. Benjamin began her medical journey at Morehouse School of Medicine as a member of the second entering class when it was a two-year institution. She went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and later received an MBA from Tulane University. Dr. Benjamin opened a solo practice in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, which she later transformed into a nonprofit rural health clinic that has earned national acclaim for its service to underserved communities.

Dr. Benjamin’s contributions to the field extend far beyond her clinical work. She has served on the boards of Morehouse School of Medicine, Florida A&M University, and Tulane University. In 1995, she made history as the first African American woman and the youngest person elected to the American Medical Association’s board of trustees. Her many honors include a MacArthur Genius Fellowship, a papal medal from Pope Benedict XVI, and recognition as one of Reader’s Digest’s 100 most trusted people in America. We are especially proud to have Dr. Benjamin as our 2025 commencement speaker.

Tune in to this inspiring conversation with Dr. Regina Benjamin as she reflects on her remarkable journey, groundbreaking achievements, and enduring connection to Morehouse School of Medicine.

Resources Related To This Episode


Visit https://www.msm.edu/

Credits


Produced by ChatWithLeadersMedia.com 


Theme Music Old Fire Music from Pond5.com

This month on Danforth Dialogues, we are honored to welcome Dr. Regina Benjamin, the 18th United States Surgeon General who served during the Obama administration. A trailblazer in public health and health equity, Dr. Benjamin brings decades of experience and national leadership to the conversation.
A native of Alabama, Dr. Benjamin began her medical journey at Morehouse School of Medicine as a member of the second entering class when it was a two-year institution. She went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and later received an MBA from Tulane University. Dr. Benjamin opened a solo practice in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, which she later transformed into a nonprofit rural health clinic that has earned national acclaim for its service to underserved communities.
Dr. Benjamin&rsquo;s contributions to the field extend far beyond her clinical work. She has served on the boards of Morehouse School of Medicine, Florida A&amp;M University, and Tulane University. In 1995, she made history as the first African American woman and the youngest person elected to the American Medical Association&rsquo;s board of trustees. Her many honors include a MacArthur Genius Fellowship, a papal medal from Pope Benedict XVI, and recognition as one of Reader&rsquo;s Digest&rsquo;s 100 most trusted people in America. We are especially proud to have Dr. Benjamin as our 2025 commencement speaker.
Tune in to this inspiring conversation with Dr. Regina Benjamin as she reflects on her remarkable journey, groundbreaking achievements, and enduring connection to Morehouse School of Medicine.
Resources Related To This Episode
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Visit <a href="https://www.msm.edu/">https://www.msm.edu/</a>
</li>
</ul>
Credits
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Produced by <a href="https://chatwithleadersmedia.com">ChatWithLeadersMedia.com </a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://chatwithleadersmedia.com"></a>Theme Music&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pond5.com/artist/oldfiremusic">Old Fire Music</a> from Pond5.com
</li>
</ul>

COVID-19 turned life upside down for all of humanity literally leaving no one untouched or unimpacted. At the onset of the pandemic, Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, and her leadership team recognized that the health crisis would be the ultimate teaching opportunity for MSM’s students and staff. The school returned to on-campus instruction early in the pandemic because as future healthcare professionals, they felt the students should model behavior that will prepare them to be on the frontlines of any future public health crisis. Morehouse School of Medicine implemented rigorous testing and contract tracing programs which, over the course of the pandemic, kept the school’s positivity rate under 1 percent until the emergence of the omicron variant. The school also launched a community vaccination program and hosted a “Civil Rights Leaders” vaccination event to inspire Black Americans to get the shots.

Given its unique role as a public health resource focused on underserved and minority communities, Morehouse School of Medicine has garnered some valuable leadership insights over the past two years in the battle to stem the impact of COVID-19. Coupled with her own extensive experience as a medical professional, public health expert, and academic executive, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice wants to share these lessons learned with both the school’s students and the wider educational and business community in hopes they might offer help to others.

COVID-19 turned life upside down for all of humanity literally leaving no one untouched or unimpacted. At the onset of the pandemic, Morehouse School of Medicine President and CEO, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, and her leadership team recognized that the health crisis would be the ultimate teaching opportunity for MSM&rsquo;s students and staff. The school returned to on-campus instruction early in the pandemic because as future healthcare professionals, they felt the students should model behavior that will prepare them to be on the frontlines of any future public health crisis. Morehouse School of Medicine implemented rigorous testing and contract tracing programs which, over the course of the pandemic, kept the school&rsquo;s positivity rate under 1 percent until the emergence of the omicron variant. The school also launched a community vaccination program and hosted a &ldquo;Civil Rights Leaders&rdquo; vaccination event to inspire Black Americans to get the shots.
Given its unique role as a public health resource focused on underserved and minority communities, Morehouse School of Medicine has garnered some valuable leadership insights over the past two years in the battle to stem the impact of COVID-19. Coupled with her own extensive experience as a medical professional, public health expert, and academic executive, Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice wants to share these lessons learned with both the school&rsquo;s students and the wider educational and business community in hopes they might offer help to others.

Leadership Lessons From The Frontlines Of The Pandemic

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