What are your gender pronouns?
She/Her/Hers
Where are you from?
A proud Pittsburgh kid, but I currently live in Cleveland, OH.
What’s your specialty or area of expertise?
Adolescent Medicine
What first inspired you to become a doctor?
I grew up watching my mother, who is a physician, serve her community through various organizations. It was not so much her work as a physician that was inspiring, but rather the importance of trying to better your community. Because she is one of my greatest role models, I wanted to be exactly like her. I also like science!
What story about one of your patients most sticks with you?
I don’t have one story. I have many stories of young women who come to see me on any given day because they have decided that now is not the right time for them to become pregnant. Because of the Affordable Care Act, they have access to high quality birth control that will get them through college, high school, or to the next phase of their life when they may be ready to have the responsibility of being a parent. These women, and most often their mothers, are happy that they will be able to pursue other dreams without the fear of becoming pregnant unintentionally. As a woman, I am happy to be able to provide this service for them.
What current policy issue especially motivates you to be an advocate?
I am currently motivated by all the policies that are trying to severely limit or completely eliminate access to safe abortion care. While I am not a provider that performs abortions, I stand with my colleagues who do, not only because women should be able to determine what happens with their bodies, but also because most of these laws significantly impact the patient-doctor relationship. I believe that most providers will agree that politicians who are not familiar with medicine making policies about how you can treat your patient is not only unfair but dangerous. We have trained for most of our adult lives to provide evidence-based, safe medical care to our patients. These proposed (and some now passed bills) actually force us to go against our oath as providers to do no harm, as some providers may be forced to tell the patients information that is not medically accurate or based in any evidence. I am motivated to advocate for reproductive health, as well as the right for the doctor and the patient to govern their visits, rather than the government. After all, this is America (right?).
Who is your social justice hero?
My social justice heroes are the many women and men who have courage to stand up and speak out about any social injustice that they experience or see. From the young students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who spoke out about gun violence, to all those that donned certain anatomically-related hats to march for women’s rights. Those voices will be more powerful than my voice will ever be because they are the people that are directly affected by these injustices. I just hope their courage spreads and reaches those who are in a positions to make change and makes them think about what they want to their legacy to be.
