• Government
• Profession
• Business
• Opinion
• Health

• Health reform
• H1N1
• P4P
• EMRs
• Medicare
• Liability
• AMA House
• » More

• Book Excerpt
• Business Pitch
• Meetings
• » More

• Contract Language
• Ethics Forum
• In the Courts
• Practice Management
• Technically Speaking
• » More

• Issue dates
• Regions
• Health plans
• Sections
• News briefs
• Columns
• Editorials
• Letters
• Writers
• Other years

• Search tips
• E-mail alert
• Radio
• RSS
• Mobile
• Subscribe
• Institutions
• Staff directory
• Advertising
• Permissions
• Reprints
• News media
• Site guide
• Useful links
• About
• Premium
• Contact

Political passions drive doctors to campaign

Invigorated by differences in the presidential candidates' health positions, doctors stump for George Bush and John Kerry.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, amednews staff. Oct. 25, 2004.

• PRINT|
• E-MAIL|
• RESPOND|
• REPRINTS|
• SHARE

Washington -- Still not sure which candidate to vote for this year? Marilyn Heine, MD, and N. Thomas Connally, MD, would like a word with you.

"President Bush is clearly the best choice for medicine," said Dr. Heine, chair of Bucks County (Pa.) Physicians for Bush-Cheney.

"He is dedicated to protecting patients' access to high-quality health care in America. He's a true advocate for the doctor-patient relationship and is a champion for much-needed medical liability reform that would safeguard patients' access," she said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Dr. Connally is just as adamant in his support for Sen. John Kerry (D, Mass.).

"It's not even close," said Dr. Connally, a Virginia physician and national coordinator for Doctors for Kerry. He favors Kerry's more comprehensive approach to dealing with the uninsured. "It's reasonable, it's doable, it builds on the current employer-based system."

All signs point to a close and contentious presidential election this year, making grassroots efforts all that much more important. Physicians are among those working locally on the candidates' behalf.

And Drs. Heine and Connally, energized by distinct differences in how the presidential opponents would approach health care issues, have thrown themselves into campaigning even more than usual for these already politically active physicians.

Dr. Heine is a board member of the Pennsylvania Medical Political Action Committee, which took the unique action this year of officially endorsing Bush for re-election.