Former U.S. Surgeon General Joins the Board of Proteus Digital Health

Proteus Digital Health has added Regina Benjamin, M.D., the 18th United States Surgeon General, to its Board of Directors.
 
As America’s doctor from July 2009 to 2013, Benjamin provided the public with the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and the health of the nation. While Surgeon General, she oversaw the operational command of 6,500 uniformed public health officers who serve in locations around the world to promote and protect the health of the American people. She served as chair of the National Prevention Council, composed of 17 cabinet-level heads of federal agencies, and released the first-ever National Prevention Strategy.
 
Benjamin is founder and CEO of BayouClinic in rural Alabama, and holds the NOLA.com/The Times Picayune Endowed Chair in Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. She is an independent director for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, the largest U.S. health managed care organization with 11.7 million members. She also serves on the Board of Ascension, the world’s largest faith-based health system with more than 185,000 associates and affiliated providers.
 
“I am honored and excited to join the board of Proteus Digital Health. As a nation, we are facing increasing challenges with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, behavioral health, and now opioid addiction. Digital Medicines can bring innovative and effective ways to treat these conditions that easily fit into the patient’s daily lifestyle. This will allow patients to have an active role in their own treatment,” declared Benjamin. “Digital Medicines have great promise for improving millions of people’s lives: I want to ensure they will also be available to our most vulnerable patients.”
 
Benjamin is a pioneer in the medical field and is known for her leadership role in the worldwide advancement of preventive health care. In 1995, she was the first physician under the age of 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. In 2008 she chaired the Federation of State Medical Licensing Boards of the United States.
 
“Digital Medicines help people of all walks of life engage with their own healthcare by sending accurate feedback on medication taking to the mobile device in their pockets, along with information about activity and overall health,” said Andrew Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Proteus Digital Health. “Dr. Benjamin is a magnificent patient advocate, especially for the patients left behind by our system. She will help us expand awareness of Digital Medicines and the significant improvements in health outcomes they have been proven to deliver.”
 
Benjamin has been recognized by a broad spectrum of organizations and publications. In 1998, she was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She received the 2000 National Caring Award, which was inspired by Mother Teresa, and was recognized with the Papal Honor Pro Ecclesia et Ponticifice from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2008, she was honored with a MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship. In 2011, Benjamin became the recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards. In May 2013, Reader’s Digest ranked her No. 22 of the “100 Most Trusted People in America.”
 
Proteus Digital Health is commercializing a new category of therapy: Digital Medicines. These offerings include widely used drugs, formulated so they communicate when they have been swallowed; a wearable patch that detects medicines and captures physiologic response; mobile applications to support patient self-care and physician decision-making; and data analytics to serve the needs of health system managers. Digital medicines are in commercial use in the United States. Data from both randomized clinical trials and real-world use demonstrate that patients have significantly improved outcomes using digital medicines (for example control of blood pressure) and that these outcomes can be sustained.
 
Proteus Digital Health is privately held by investors that include Carlyle, Essex Woodlands, Kaiser Permanente, Medtronic plc, Novartis, Otsuka, Oracle, and ON Semiconductor.