On October 7, 2009, Dr. Benjamin was unanimously approved by the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. A confirmation vote before the full Senate has, as of October 22, 2009, not yet been scheduled.

July 15, 2009
Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A.
United States Surgeon General (designate)

Dear Dr. Benjamin:

Please allow me to extend my most sincere congratulation on your nomination as Surgeon General. Given your credentials, unique experience and dedication, you are ideally suited for this challenging position at a critical time for health care in our nation.

I am sure you are aware of the numerous health care issues facing inner-city and rural America. One issue that I find particularly troubling is the unmet need for programs to address preventable threats to visual health. The Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People Program identified the most significant threats to visual health and established goals to reduce those threats. The program addresses visual impairment due to eye disease/conditions including glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, cataract, amblyopia and refractive error and recommends: regular eye examinations for children and adults, vision screening for preschool children, eye injury prevention, and low vision examination.

These visual health goals can only be achieved when all Americans and, particularly those in rural and inner-city areas, have access to eye care services. Only about 20 to 30 percent of all federally qualified health centers provide eye care services, despite the growing disparities that exist for rural and inner-city Americans.

Efforts must be made to attract more optometrists to rural and inner-city areas through financial incentives such as student loan forgiveness and equipment purchasing grants and loans. Inclusion of optometry in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) is essential to the placement of optometrists in these areas. I was most interested when you proudly spoke of your experience in the NHSC during your nomination speech and how it shaped your career path.

Federal and state governments should also encourage visual health education, describing the benefits of regular eye examinations for adults and children, including vision screening for preschool children and eye injury prevention. These efforts should be provided through culturally sensitive and appropriate materials and venues.

Optometry’s first program to collaborate with community health centers to improve access to inner-city Americans was developed in Boston by the New England College of Optometry in the late 1960’s, in cooperation with three community health centers. Today, the program has grown to include 14 health centers and 30 other affiliations and inner-city programs. It was also the first collaborative model of care between optometry and ophthalmology in the Nation. This community based program is now managed by the College’s subsidiary, the New England Eye Institute, and has evolved into a national model demonstrating the compatibility of a commitment to community eye care and clinical education. While few inner-city and rural health centers have eye care services, nearly all Boston health centers provide these services. Once you are sworn in as the next United States Surgeon General, you may want to review this highly effective model for possible application to other parts of our country.

Thank you for willingness to take on the challenge of Surgeon General and again congratulations.

Sincerely,

Charles F. Mullen, O.D.
Member, Board of Trustees
New England College of Optometry