The Sharpest Scalpel Conversation with Two CDU Policymakers at the Legislative Level, Dr. Randy Hawkins and Dr. Jerry Abraham( continued)
table. All those now more than ever are needed as we continue to fight, which is what we do so well at Charles Drew, ending healthcare disparities, advancing health equity, achieving medical and racial justice and that very much so is at the core of the work I do in organized medicine.
Dr. Hawkins, what are some accomplishments that you would cite along the way of your career? RH: Certainly, being on the Medical Board of California is an accomplishment. Denise Pines was the first African American president of the Medical Board who was two presidents before me. I think that being on the board, being in the room, having people give you the microphone to speak, and taking the direction you might want to with a conversation that you think is important with the board. I’ ve also been with the Food and Drug Administration on a couple of their advocacy committees.
I have the ability to be at Charles Drew and be a mentor for medical students. I’ ve had students that rotate through my office as part of their introduction to clinical medicine. I’ ve found it very valuable to be of service to medical students and physicians in training as a sounding board; to be available to them to let them know that someone thinks that what they’ re doing is really, really important. And if they want to ask some questions, I give some advice. One time I asked a student what was great about the rotation, and she said,‘ I finally found my voice. I finally got out of the shadows and spoke up. I had the opportunity to do something that we’ ve talked about.’ It’ s about being an advocate for the patients.
Dr. Abraham, what are some of your accomplishments along the way? JA: Looking back, I think my greatest accomplishment to date is fighting for vaccines for the people of South Los Angeles. That will always be one of my shining accomplishments that we were able to vaccinate over 400,000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ re here in south central where about one in four people in these houses right around us died from COVID-19 in each other’ s families. I do believe that Black and Brown individuals are not prioritized by our society and policy makers.
I also want to highlight again the work of the Charles R Drew Medical Society, where Dr. Hawkins and I serve on the board. Together with the Golden State Medical Association we are working every day with amazing leaders, including Dr. L. Khadija Lang, the president of GSMA; several past presidents of the NMA, and Dr. C. Suzanne Cutter, current president of the Charles R. Drew Medical Society.
Dr. Hawkins, how do you establish a profile and image that causes your colleagues to support your interest in being a leader in this in this group of brilliant people? RH: I think that one of the critical parts is just knowing what you’ re doing. Every one of my patients says,‘ you’ re on the medical board and nobody knows about it.’ I think that it’ s important for folks to know that you’ re out there. And I think that if they know that something about the organization, or the initiative that you’ re pushing, and the initiatives are well chosen. We do have some inertia. For example, you have all these African American physicians in LA, yet we have such a small membership in the medical society.
Gentlemen, what are the driving issues affecting physicians statewide and locally at this time? JA: We know that there’ s now this MCO tax on Managed Care Health Plans organizations, so that we can ensure that physician practices are paid with parity of Medicare and other insurance plans. We really are paving the way to show how we can strengthen and bolster the safety net. That’ s going to take a lot of effort on our part, including educating the public as to why you want a strong safety net. We know that if we do not contain the cost of health care, we will bankrupt the state and the nation. Private practice physicians are already challenged to keep their doors open. We want to make sure that we’ re at the table making those regulations and figuring out ways that they’ re implemented and enforced equally, so that Black and Brown physicians do not feel the disproportionate enforcement of such regulations.
RH: There is a physician shortage. Physicians are retiring. And we need to get more focused on the type of pipeline as Jerry mentioned. And when you get more folks in the pipeline and look like us: Black and Brown folks who have a linguistic and cultural competency.
I see that the State Medical Board has many directors of color, and I was amazed when I looked at their website. So how did that come about? RH: I have to give a shout out and some credit to the two governors that appointed me, Governor Jerry Brown and Governor Gavin Newsom. They believe in diversity. I went to an event near the time that Governor Brown was retiring. He had appointed more folks of color to various commissions and boards than everyone else combined.
Thank you both very much.
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 24