LEGISLATORS IN THE NEWS
An Interview with Dr. Rich McCormick Lisa Moreno, MD MS MSCR FAAEM FIFEM — President, AAEM
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r. Rich McCormick is an emergency physician from Georgia who is running for Congress from Georgia’s 6th Congressional District. Dr. McCormick took an active role in AAEM’s recent Health Policy in Emergency Medicine (HPEM) meeting in Washington, D.C. and he is a member of the Academy. His position on the corporate practice of medicine is aligned with AAEM’s clearly stated position and AAEM board members and HPEM attendees really enjoyed discussing these issues with him in person in October. At this critical time in the life of our specialty, Dr. McCormick agreed to an interview with me to explore some of these fundamental issues and his own decision to run for public office.
serve our country in the legislature? Health care is 20% of our federal budget and the emergency physician is an expert on what’s going on in health care in America. I have experience in the military that has shown me that government programs often result in waste. Our health care costs have increased by 10% and a single payer system will end up costing even more. As I had these important conversations, I realized that this was a logical move.
LM: What prompted you to change your focus of service from the clinical practice of EM to politics?
LM: So, Dr. McCormick, this line of discussion leads logically into my next question. What traits that make you an effective EP will you carry forward to make you an effective legislator?
RM: Well, you know I am still clinically active, even working night shifts. I feel this is an obligation I have to my community and my colleagues during the pandemic. But yes, there was a specific event that prompted my decision to run for public office. I had come up with a fair and reasonable solution to the problem of surprise billing. Special interest groups have the time and money to lobby the legislature, and their focus is on business, not patients. I decided to bring my ideas directly to the legislature in my home state of Georgia, and when I did, I watched a Republican who chaired the committee (despite what I believe is a conflict of interest due to his former employment with an insurance agency) fail to vet my ideas during the meeting. One of the other attendees told me, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. If you want to make a difference, you need to get involved. Are you willing to do that?” A consultant told me there was an open seat in Congress. This was a big move, so like any good member of the military and our specialty of emergency medicine, I got a consult from my wife and my buddies. They pointed out that I have the experience of being an emergency physician, a combat pilot, and an active member of my community. Who better to
RM: As emergency physicians, we know how to identify the problem. We witness failed policies daily, and we see the impact of these failed policies on our patients. Look at the practices in the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Patients are unable to afford basic medications such as insulin. Major hospital corporations are setting policies that interfere with the physician’s ability to do the right thing for the patient. These practices have come about as a result of government policies that favor corporations and pharmaceutical firms. A second thing we do well is taking leadership. We lead resuscitations, we advocate for patients, we make decisions about admission and discharge, and we own those decisions. My experiences in the ED and the military have provided me with these leadership skills, but beyond that leadership is the ability to work well under pressure. Emergency physicians and fighter pilots have the courage to make decisions in high stress situations. We are trained to maintain logic and calm, to weigh the facts even under stress, and to come up with the best response to the situation that is presented to us. We’re also very adept at dealing with unexpected events and pivoting when the situation changes or new information comes to light. We are bold and decisive. I can’t imagine better preparation for dealing with the Congressional environment.
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We’ve made COVID political. And that’s ridiculous. This is not a political issue. This is an issue of public health.” 14
COMMON SENSE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022
