Bringing Healthcare Reform to Our Nation's Top Political Conventions
Want to learn more about CIR doctors at the Democratic National Convention? Check out the following Web-exclusive content
Standing tall, with the Road to Healthcare Reform bus behind them are CIR Drs. Elizabeth Burpee, CIR’s Secy-Treas., Nailah Thompson, Exec. VP, Kate Aberger, NY VP, Julie Craig (back row) of UNM, CIR Pres. L. Toni Lewis, Joe Livingston and Sheila Modi, of UNM.
As the United States counts down to an historic election this fall, the debate about healthcare reform in this country has taken on a sense of urgency for both political parties. Never has the voice of frontline providers of care been more critical in the national debate on healthcare reform. In recognition of this, CIR doctors were among the participants at SEIU events at both the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN.
CIR delegate Dr. Almari Ginory, a resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital, flew in from Miami, FL to attend an SEIU reception saluting GOP activist members and SEIU-supported Republican elected officials at the Republican National Convention. “I learned so much from this experience,” Dr. Ginory said. “I was able to attend SEIU-sponsored events and learned that SEIU donates to both the Democratic and Republican political parties,making it one of the most influential unions in the U.S. The goals of SEIU are to encourage healthcare for all, and so they support politicians who share this vision.
“The most important thing I learned is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or a Democrat when it comes to healthcare reform – it’s a national issue, and as Americans, we need to band together to reduce healthcare disparities and obtain healthcare for all. As a delegate for CIR, the leaders of SEIU were very receptive to my thoughts, and encouraged communication between unions,” she said.
Dr. Almari Ginory, CIR delegate from Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, (second from right) attended the SEIU salute to GOP activist members before the RNC, and learned that, “SEIU donates to both Democratic and Republican political parties….They support politicians who share this vision (of healthcare for all).”
The previous week, CIR doctors attended the Democratic National Convention on August 27 and 28, 2008. CIR doctors boarded vans in Albuquerque, NM at 4 AM on Wednesday and drove 7+ hours up Route 25 to rally with their fellow SEIU members.
The Denver rally featured music by Death Cab for Cutie and Chuck D of Public Enemy, and speeches by SEIU President Andy Stern, Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, NPR commentator Jim Hightower, and an array of union and healthcare advocacy groups including Dr. Elizabeth Burpee, CIR’s Secretary-Treasurer, and a resident at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
CIR leaders Kate Aberger, MD (left) and Nailah Thompson, DO, let the crowd know that doctors, too, can be in unions, and have strong ideas about what’s wrong with our current system, and how best to fix it.
Since she had embarked on a 450-mile van ride just to be there, Dr. Burpee was an instant hit with the crowd.She urged them to work together to fix our broken healthcare system and stressed how important it is for doctors and other healthcare professionals to be engaged and hold their elected officials accountable. “The bottom line for us in our work is the quality of care we can give to our patients....We caregivers can make sure that healthcare reform gets done right, once and for all!” she said.
Along with Dr. Burpee on that roadtrip were two vanloads of resident physicians, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals converging on the DNC with one thing in mind: healthcare reform. Chuck D and Jim Hightower, co-emcees, told the crowd that grassroots activists have the power to make quality, affordable healthcare a reality.
On Thursday,CIR doctors were among the 85,000 to attend the day’s festivities in Invesco Field, including Sen. Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.