Can I make a difference?

Despite what some folks say, our legislators do not wake up each morning hoping to screw up our lives. Bad legislative decisions are not necessarily evidence of malice; our legislators may not have the full facts, or may not entirely understand the consequences of their actions.

I realized this may be in part my own fault, because I have clearly not done a very good job communicating with them. I wrestled with the fact that I could continue to sit back with my colleagues and complain about legislative decisions, or I could become more involved. It is difficult enough being a good physician, so the thought of becoming politically active seemed on the surface to be a bit much. The drive that led me to medicine is a genuine belief that I could make a difference. I wondered if that same central belief held true for politics.

Every large corporation in the United States and every special interest group, regardless of its size, make its position known using trained specialists. Each year our state Capitol is flooded with these specialists—or lobbyists—when the Legislature is in session. The fact of the matter is that elected representatives are much more concerned about the votes of their constituents than they will ever be about professional lobbyists. I realized early I may not be able to do much about our legislators’ core beliefs, but I could affect what they hear and what they know. I educated myself and became more involved at both the state academy (Texas Academy of Family Physicians) and legislative levels on issues concerning health care and its effects on doctors and patients.

The more I learned, the more I began to realize that no elected official, regardless how good his or her intentions were could ever fully comprehend, let alone read the more than 6,000 bills and amendments brought before him or her during the legislative session. I recognized TAFP as the perfect setting for getting involved with matters directly impacting my future as a physician.

Working with the Academy has been a great experience. I have met some incredible people. The staff members are unbelievably helpful and so energized and committed; you can’t help but become excited as well. My brief experience has already shown me successful reform starts at the local and county levels. I’ve learned an informed constituent is always welcome in the office of his legislator and his views remembered. I’ve also discovered communicating with lawmakers and their staffs is quite easy and appreciated. But, perhaps the greatest lesson I’ve learned is politics is not about philosophy, but rather about relationships. It’s that relationship we have with our delegates that advance our legislative concerns. I encourage all of us, regardless of our particular political views to reach out and contact our local and state representatives.

Our lawmakers absolutely must be better informed on health and related matters if we insist they develop sound, yet innovative approaches to today’s health care concerns without adversely affecting the most vulnerable among us. TAFP and other state academies are excellent venues for learning, voicing and instituting change. We as a profession must help address the real costs of health, change how we deliver medical care and reduce the demand on the current system. The bottom line is you can make a difference if you get involved.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are a family medicine resident or if you are a student interested in pursuing a career in family medicine and you would like to write a column for TEXAS FAMILY PHYSICIAN, please contact Jonathan Nelson at jnelson@tafp.org or Kate McCann at kmccann@tafp.org. You may also reach us by phone at (512) 329-8666.