Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD (18th Surgeon General of the United States )

7/11/2017

Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD

Founder & CEO of Bayou Clinic

c/o  Bayou Clinic Inc.

13833 Tapia Avenue

Bayou La Batre, AL  36509

Dear Dr. Benjamin,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in learning history with public policy. In these subjects, I like to learn the need to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, find ways to improve public safety, and many others. Dr. Benjamin, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as 18^th Surgeon General of the United States to be very inspiring to me.

In 2009, I was very proud on how you accepted President Barack Obama’s appointment to serve as Surgeon General of the United States to help him improve public health.  When you served as 18^th Surgeon General of the United States from 2009-2013, I was very proud on how you were a strong supporter of making Civil Rights stronger to help protect women, minorities, and people with disabilities from being discriminated in education and public places.  Also on Civil Rights, I liked on how you advocated for people with disabilities’ rights, supported women’s rights from being discriminated, and expanded on programs to help minorities including women and people with disabilities to help them get assistance in their community. “The Surgeon General’s Vision for Healthy and Fit Nation” that you wrote in January 2010 had great ideas on reducing obesity and promoting health and wellness programs for families including the community like promote nutrition programs in schools to help educate youth about the need to eat healthy foods, expand exercising programs to help youth including adults get exercise to reduce obesity, and work with agriculture industries or farms to help them grow healthy foods to help give to the communities.  On women’s rights, I liked on how express your support for women’s right to choose, push for funds to help women get access to mammograms to help reduce a chance of breast cancer, and support the need for women to not be discriminated by insurance companies on their healthcare.  To reduce heart attacks, I am very proud on you launched “Million Hearts” campaign to help address educational awareness about the need to reduce heart disease and push for funding for medical research to find ways to cure or prevent heart disease.  On mental health, I liked on how you created along with issued National Strategy for Suicide Prevention to help spread awareness about preventing suicide like expand on counseling to help victims of bullying get help in schools along with universities, push on research to find  ways to deal with mental illness, and many others.  After you left your role as Surgeon General of the United States, I like on how you continue to advocate for people with a disabilities’ rights, express the need for health care reform, support Civil Rights, express ideas to reduce obesity, and many others.

Dr. Benjamin, I have Autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of Civil Rights and be an advocate for people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Your role as 18^th   Surgeon General of the United States motivates me to continue my interest in learning history with public policy. My future goal is to someday work in public policy to help shape common sense ideas to make society a better place. Your work as Surgeon General of the United States and your commitment to find ways to improve public health got me really interested in watching documentaries about the need to improve nutrition, make food products safe, and the need to make public health a priority.

I strongly believe that you made a great difference as 18^th Surgeon General of the United States. I’m very proud on how you worked hard to help President Obama, push for great ideas to improve public health, and make a great difference for society.  Dr. Benjamin, you have truly inspired me to work hard on my disability, continue to work hard at overcoming different challenges, and be motivated to continue to learn history with public policy including the need to improve public health.  Here is a picture of me as a gift to you for inspiring me.  Also I was wondering if you could please share with me what it was like serving as Surgeon General of the United States and working with President Obama. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference for society, and inspiring me. I wish you well for the future and to continue to advocate to make public health with society a better place.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick