The work ahead

What an inspiring Doctors for America 2015 National Leadership Conference!

Passionate, dedicated doctors and medical students from across the country gathered in Washington, DC to learn and connect on how to make the world better for our patients.

A movement that began 7 years ago is now 16,000 physicians and medical students strong. During that time we played a critical role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and then spent the past several years protecting the law against repeal and defunding attempts.

We have made tremendous progress on expanding access to care and we will continue to fight to expand Medicaid and protect the ACA. Yet, we know access alone is not enough. Too much of what happens outside the clinic walls is outside of our control.

There are still too many Americans who don’t have safe places to walk because of gun violence in their communities, too many children who don’t have access to the food they need to aid their developing bodies. These are the pressing problems facing our patients and communities across the country. These are the challenges physicians must join with community leaders to tackle to ensure we build a healthy America for everyone.

That’s why I am so excited to share with you DFA 2.0. While we honor and respect our history, we are evolving as an organization to meet the pressing health challenges that lie before us. We have a new mission, vision and guiding principles that you can view on our website.

I hope you will join us in the year ahead to continue to address access to care and Medicaid expansion as well as, food insecurity, racial disparities, mental health, substance abuse, drug pricing, gun violence, health innovation, physician well-being, organizing skills, and more.

Change happens because doctors and medical students like you take leadership into their own hands. Whether you care about an existing campaign or a new issue we haven’t tackled or listed here, we want to hear from you and help you create the change you want to see.

For a healthier America,

Mona Mangat, Chair
Alice Chen, Executive Director

National Leadership Conference