Since Right Care Action Week, we have been reaching out to our membership and beyond to find enthusiastic and committed chapter leaders to help organize our national campaign to lower drug prices. We have been lucky enough to find nearly 60 clinicians, patients, and activists from 18 cities dedicated to building a movement for right care in their community. You will be hearing much more from them over the next few months as we launch the campaign, but for now, you can learn more about our new chapter leaders below:
** This is a preliminary list and is subject to change.
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic chapters
Ruth Palombo – Boston, MA chapter
Ann Strand – Boston, MA chapter
Dan Bednarz – Boston, MA chapter
Cardell Gelin – Boston, MA chapter
Diedre Waxman – Boston, MA chapter
Arlene Lowney – Boston, MA chapter
Connie Shi – Boston, MA chapter
Alan Meyers – Boston, MA chapter
Harry Sleeper – Boston, MA chapter
Leigh Simmons – Boston, MA chapter
Marlene Beggelman – Boston, MA chapter
Anu Kaul – Boston, MA chapter
Alex Arnold – Boston, MA chapter
Judy Sudhalter – Boston, MA chapter
Nancy Finn – Boston, MA chapter
Randy Pellew – New York, NY chapter
Jairo Mata – New York, NY chapter
“I believe that patients should get the type of care that does not undermine their quality of care or have barriers that restrict the care that patients should and need.”
Thui Bui – Pittsburgh, PA chapter
Stuart Fisk – Pittsburgh, PA chapter
Midwest chapters
Selwyn Rogers – Chicago, IL chapter
Max Clermont – Chicago, IL chapter
Johanna Ryan – Chicago, IL chapter
Art Curtis – Chicago, IL chapter
Chelsea Troy – Chicago, IL chapter
“As a programmer, I wrote the mobile apps for four major insurance companies. But after my own health scare, I realized how expensive procedures are for patients and how the system sometimes obstructs the best thing for the patient.”
Southern chapters
Frederick Southwick – Gainesville, FL chapter
“I am a physician and Professor of Medicine who is teaching students to practice high value care as well as organizing skills. Unfortunately progress has been slow and a national campaign to change the present culture of health care in the U.S. is badly needed.”
Bonnie Sheeren – Houston, TX chapter
“I previously worked in patient education and I saw people choosing too much care out of fear and anxiety. I’ve always felt that we should educate patients so they view their care in terms of quality of life.”
John James – Houston, TX chapter
“I am a patient activist as a resulting of my son’s life being lost to ‘wrong care.’ I believe the framework of the RCA will enable me to advance my activist efforts to educate people on the risks and costs of health care and why the U.S. non-system is not serving the public very well.”
Victoria Scott – Houston, TX chapter
Jeffrey Halbstein-Harris – Raleigh, NC chapter
Carol Lolley-Harris – Raleigh, NC chapter
“Together, Carol and I have assisted numerous friends, families, clients in navigating serious illness in both acute and chronic care dimensions and during end of life events. We believe that the current Business of Medicine is stuck in a systemic perverse loop where each stakeholder has no choice but to focus on their own survival, thereby increasing pressures created by payers and accreditation agencies. Raleigh is overwhelmed with polished messages about Medical Homes, Integrated Systems etc. Our city has two medical schools, huge endowments, supposed perfectly integrated systems yet I can’t even get my medication list square between providers. I am hoping we can teach thme Millennials and Boomers what they should expect and deserve thereby forcing open a window on what is actually the state of our local health system.”
Kristina Kaiser Gerkhi – Washington, DC chapter
“I am a communication and education professional with personal and professional experience regarding how to communicate crisis and risk. I care about the right care initiative because I lost two family members to avoidable adverse drug reactions.”
Michael Pappas – Washington, DC chapter
” I am a 4th-year medical student at Georgetown School of Medicine who has been involved with the Lown Institute for multiple years and RCDC since its inception. I view the state of our healthcare system as a small example of what happens when the capitalist economic forces are used to “appropriately” distribute what should be an inherent right for each and every living person on this planet–quality health care. The corrupting influence of the profit motive into healthcare has led to the production of the current medical industrial complex we see today in the US, which has lead to some not having adequate access to medical care, while others who may have access, are either hurt through over treatment or plagued by insurmountable medical bills. Addressing these systems to create a more rational, effective healthcare system is, to me, what is at the essence of “right care.”
Daryl Wagner – Washington, DC chapter
Kayoko “Ky” Corbet – Washington, DC chapter
Lila McConnell – Washington, DC chapter
Christine Richardson – Washington, DC chapter
Robin Strongin – Washington, DC chapter
Kim DiGioia – Washington, DC chapter
Steve Findlay – Washington, DC chapter
West Coast and Mountain chapters
Thomas Wilson – Denver, CO chapter
“I am a member of several councils within this organization, a small business owner, a peer specialist and Community Advocate. I believe in right care because I believe everyone deserves the ethical and supportive care that ensures peaceful and loving treatment no matter their race, gender, mindset or views. I believe that effective healthcare is a right not a privilege and that we all must be held accountable for everyone’s well being. The voices crying out might be few but are worthy of safe, effective, quality treatment and the respect and dignity this organization believes in.”
Sandra Sebbas – Denver, CO chapter
Karima Osman – Denver, CO chapter
“I am an undergraduate student enrolled in the BA/BS-MD program at CU Denver. As a Somali-American Muslim woman, I use my multi-hyphenated identity to connect with various communities. I am particularly passionate and versed in the immigrant and refugee population, and have thus recognized the disparities and cultural values that both respectively contribute as obstacles to healthcare. As a poet, I recite untold narratives and restore dignity to the Somali culture that incessant war has aimed to suppress. As a future physician, I hope to practice integrative medicine to treat patients holistically, and increase healthcare equity.”
Sanie Mikaelian – Los Angeles, CA chapter