Today I joined my HealthSTAT colleagues and community partners at the Georgia State Capitol to voice my support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to let Georgia’s lawmakers and citizens know how much the ACA can help our state.

As a future health professional from Georgia, I recognize that caring for my patients extends beyond the clinic, and I’ve seen first-hand the tragedy of un- and under-insurance in our state.  Too frequently, my professional training and that of my colleagues in healthcare does not adequately address this kind of trauma. I joined HealthSTAT to educate myself and to help my patients.  My learning about and advocating for laws like the ACA will help my patients as much as my learning the mechanisms and treatments of a disease like diabetes.  As Dr. Harry Heiman reminded me today on the steps of the capitol, “As doctors, we take an oath to do no harm–we can’t with good conscience deny this beneficial healthcare legislation to our patients.” (more…)