Congress gains 2 new physician members

Health care issues rank high on the agendas of both congressmen-elect.

By Geri Aston, AMNews staff. Nov. 25, 2002.

Washington -- Two obstetrician-gynecologists soon will make the switch from delivering babies to delivering on campaign promises.

Michael Burgess, MD, of Highland Village, Texas, and Phil Gingrey, MD, of Marietta, Ga., were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives Nov. 5.

The congressmen-elect, who talked strategy over the phone during their campaigns, see the humor in two Republican physicians with the same specialty getting elected at the same time. "I'm sure we'll have an ob-gyn caucus within our caucus," Dr. Gingrey joked.

Although the House will gain two new doctors, it will lose two physician lawmakers. Reps. Greg Ganske, MD (R, Iowa), and John Cooksey, MD (R, La.), lost their Senate bids. Both plan to return to their practices. Dr. Ganske is a plastic surgeon and Dr. Cooksey is an ophthalmologist.

The number of doctors in the House will remain at eight. The Senate's only physician, William Frist, MD (R, Tenn.), was not up for re-election.

Drs. Gingrey and Burgess both hope to be appointed to committees with jurisdiction over health care legislation.

"My aspiration is to be on the Ways and Means Committee," Dr. Burgess said. That powerful panel deals with health care issues, including Medicare. But Dr. Burgess realizes that, as a freshman lawmaker, he might not be able to swing such a plum assignment. If not, he'd like to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure panel, where he could address the traffic problems plaguing rapidly growing Denton County.

The two doctors are passionate about physician issues and hope to use their knowledge of the health care system to advance medicine's causes in Congress. Both list medical liability reform as top a priority. [...]