New Yorkers, all on lockdown, would go out their windows and bang pots and pans in gratitude. In my hospital, we received tons of posters, cards, and other notes of appreciation. We were awash in food. And while we do not do what we do for the thanks, the gestures and expressions of appreciation were solidly appreciated.

As time has passed – and pandemic fatigue and weariness set in across the world – these kind gestures of appreciation have faded. As we enter the third year of this scourge, we feel more alone now that we ever did before. And still, on this Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I would be remis if I did not express my appreciation.

The struggle for civil rights in this country predated my birth. It even predated the arrival of my parents, who immigrated to the United States for a better life. Still, the struggle of Dr. King and so many countless others made life for my parents that much easier. For this, I am eternally grateful.

I know for a fact that my parents would probably had not been able to set roots where they did – in the suburbs of Chicago – had it not been for Dr. King and the civil rights movement. They could not have given us the wonderful life we had as kids.

I am pretty certain I would not have been able to enjoy the privileges and opportunities that I have enjoyed had it not been for Dr. King and the civil rights movement. My right to live where I want, eat where I want, work where I want, sit where I want on a plane or subway – rights I take for granted – would not have been possible were it not for the sacrifice and struggle of Dr. King and the civil rights movement.

The fact that I can vote without having to pay a tax, or answer a quiz, or do anything else of that sort has only been possible because of Dr. King and the civil rights movement. The fact that there is even alarm in our country over the threat to voting rights in so many states is due to Dr. King and the civil rights struggle.

As Americans, we all must do what we can to stop the eroding of the right of every eligible citizen to cast a vote and have their voice be heard. As Americans, we cannot let the good fight – and “good trouble” – of Dr. King die in vain.

All these things that I take for granted are thanks to Dr. King and the civil rights movement. And so, I must say thank you.

Thank you, Dr. King, for all you have done for the cause of justice in this country. Thank you, Dr. King, for the countless hours you spent nonviolently resisting the injustices rampant in our society. Thank you, Dr. King, for giving your life so that my children and I can live a better one in America. Thank you so much, Dr. King, and thank you to all those who have struggled and fought alongside him for the civil rights of all.

In his famous, “I Have A Dream Speech,” Dr. King said:

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

I am beneficiary of his coming to the nation’s capital to “cash [that] check.” I am beneficiary of his refusal to believe “the bank of justice is bankrupt.” I am beneficiary to his struggle – one that took his life – to “cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice.”

Thank you so much, Dr. King. I – and our nation – are forever grateful to God and to you for all you have done.

The post Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. appeared first on Medika Life.

As June’s Pride Month comes to a close, Ohio Governor Mike Dewine signed an anti-LGBTQ bill into law allowing medical professionals to refuse to treat any patient over moral or religious beliefs. The religious objection provision did not come up in Congress for a stand-alone vote. Instead, the legislation was buried inside of the 2,438-page budget bill which passed last week.

Based on the wording of the law, Ohio health providers and insurance companies have “the freedom to decline to perform, participate in, or pay for any health care service which violates the practitioner’s, institution’s, or payer’s conscience as informed by the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.”

Women’s health advocates and the LGBTQ community are sounding the alarm. The sweepingly broad language opens the doors to discriminatory practices by health providers and insurance companies who fail to remember that the patient always comes first. 

The wording of the law goes way beyond issues of sexuality and gender. The law permits any healthcare provider to deny any medical services based on religious or moral objections.

The law is not limited to abortion services, contraceptive coverage, transgender care, or HIV medications. The legislation allows the individual provider to make a determinative choice of who they want to treat. 

The Federal EMTALA Act prohibits the US Health system from turning its backs on any patient in need of emergency care stating, “EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals with emergency departments to screen and treat the emergency medical conditions of patients in a non-discriminatory manner to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay, insurance status, national origin, race, creed or color.

Ohio Governor Dewine’s bill provides a workaround for providers who wish to deny care to a patient based on moral or religious objections. The Ohio law states providers are “responsible for providing all appropriate health care services, other than the particular health care service that conflicts with the medical practitioner’s beliefs or convictions until another medical practitioner or facility is available.”

In Ohio, doctors and nurses, who refuse to treat a patient, must provide emergency care until they can transfer the patient to another provider or hospital willing to treat them.

Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation show that most Americans, regardless of their political party, do not support discriminatory healthcare policies. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agree the US Health system should not refuse to treat patients based on their life choices. 

Governor DeWine and the Ohio legislature failed to recognize one of the most important healthcare provider aspects. 

Patient care is about the patient. Not the provider.

The Ohio law fails to acknowledge one of the most challenging aspects of medical care. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers work hard to avoid value judgments when providing care. We work to see all patients as worthy. We try to avoid bias. 

Healthcare workers treat patients. We do not judge who they are or what choices they made to need our service. Doctors and nurses do not treat the patients we like and turn away those who are not aligned with our morals and values. 

Good doctors and nurses do not pick and choose. We separate ourselves from value judgments to treat the patient in front of us. No matter who they are.

Medical care is about placing value on each person’s life. Although challenging, health providers try to avoid considering patient culpability when treating people. Our personal feelings must be checked at the door. 

We treat the person in front of us. 

Pulmonologists do not refuse to treat or blame a chain smoker for getting lung cancer. Trauma surgeons treat drunk driving victims and the perpetrators equally. We do not refuse care to gang members who get shot or deny Covid-19 treatments to those who refuse to wear masks. 

In Obstetrics and Gynecology, we provide care to pregnant women who use illegal drugs and prescribe PrEP therapy to those with multiple unprotected sexual partners. We don’t insert personal bias or value judgments into patient care. We try very hard to do exactly the opposite.

A health provider’s job is to counsel patients and empower them with knowledge. We discuss the health risks of their life choices. 

We do not deny care to those who live their lives in ways differently than we do, even if we find a patient’s life choices morally offensive. 

The post Ohio Sneaks LGBTQ Discrimination Law Into Budget Bill appeared first on Medika Life.

Desantis’s series of line-item vetoes to the approved Florida State Budget slashed crucial funding to the LGBTQ community. As a result, a group of homeless teenagers seeking bridge housing through the Zebra Coalition finds themselves back on the street.

The Zebra Coalition is a nonprofit organization in Orlando, Florida, dedicated to helping displaced LGBTQ youth find temporary housing. Florida lawmakers approved appropriations for $750,00 to the group to help with renovations and operations. However, Governor Desantis removed the funding from the budget through a line-item veto.

The cost to fund the adolescent housing project was 0.00075% of the $100 billion state budget approved by the Florida legislature last week.

In the United States, 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year, and 18% of homeless teens live in Florida. The Zebra Coalition is a group of 52 diverse private and public organizations throughout Florida. The mission is to assist LGBTQ youth “facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability.”

The Zebra Coalition has helped over 400 teens get off the streets by providing temporary housing. In addition, leaders in the Zebra Coalition offer each young person an individual care plan to help them learn daily living skills to help them transition to independent living.

According to a study from the University of Chicago, LGBTQ teens are 120% More Likely to experience homelessness. Internal data from the Zebra Coalition show familial rejection is the overwhelming cause accounting for 40% of the cases.

National data from True Colors United shows a similar pattern. Familiar conflict over sexual orientation or gender identity is the most frequent risk factor cited by homeless LGBTQ youth. This data demonstrates that these youth were forced to leave home or ran away after coming out to their families. Others teenagers reported abuse at home as the cause for their lack of a consistent living environment, while others simply aged out of the foster care system.

The Zebra Coalition sought funding through the state of Floria to renovate the building currently used to house homeless LGBTQ teens. Florida lawmakers approved $750,000 in funding to improve the leased building and help with operating costs. The Governor’s veto strips the financing which was designated to cover about half of the expenses.

Executive Director Heather Wilkie told the Tampa Bay Times, “Now we are going to have to go back to square one and figure out how we are going to fundraise. I’m not giving up on the dream, but I’m certainly disappointed.”

The Zebra Coalition funding was not the only LGBTQ group affected by the Desantis vetoes. Despite approval by the Florida legislature, Desantis removed $150,000 in funding for the Orlando United Assistance Center.

The Orlando United Assistance Center provides mental health counseling and employment assistance services to the victims of families of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub murders. The OUAC mission is to “The Center’s mission is to promote and empower the LGBT+ community ad its allies through information, education, advocacy, and support.”

OUAC received funding from Orlando, Orange County Government, Osceola County Government, and Heart of Florida United Way. The OUAC is located in downtown Orlando to help the Pulse nightclub victims recover. Services listed on the website include:

• Case management working directly with an OUAC Case Manager
• Navigation of community resources
• Referrals for mental health and counseling services unique to the individual’s need
• Connection with community resources to help address rent/mortgage assistance, immigration, utility assistance, and transportation issues.

Pride month will continue in Florida, but the LGBTQ targetted vetoes by Governor Desantis will cast a dark cloud on the community’s progress to help improve lives in Florida.

The post Florida’s Gov Vetoes Funding for Homeless LGBTQ Kids appeared first on Medika Life.