FMCSA Names Chief Medical Officer

FMCSA is pleased to announce that Benisse Lester, M.D., has been appointed as the Chief Medical Officer for the Agency.

Prior to joining FMCSA, Dr. Lester was Director of Occupational Medicine and Safety for the Office of Health Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She began her service with DHS as Chief of Medical Programs for the Federal Air Marshal Service. Preceding her tenure at DHS, she was attending surgeon in orthopedic surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she held a faculty appointment as Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery. In 2001, she was appointed as an Honorary Police Surgeon by the New York Police Department.

Dr. Lester received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed a general surgery internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the New York University Medical Center. She is a senior aviation medical examiner, a medical review officer, and is board certified in orthopedic surgery with a certificate of added qualification in hand surgery.

During her academic career, Dr. Lester made numerous national and international presentations. She has served as a leader and educator for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the Aerospace Medical Association, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), among other professional organizations. She is the author of a highly rated textbook, as well as numerous peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and chapters.

Dr. Lester is a fellow of ACOEM and the AAOS, and has been elected to membership in the ASSH, the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Eastern Orthopedic Association, and other professional organizations.