Doctors for America

The "four policy pillars" of the organization are expanding health insurance to all Americans; ensuring high-quality 21st-century care; expanding access to care; and improving practice environments for physicians in order to help them focus on improving patient care. The organization partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Student Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and other organizations to promote health reform legislation in Congress to issue a July 30, 2009 open letter to all members of Congress publicly announcing their support for health reform legislation.{{cite web|url=http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/media/releases/newsreleases-statements-2009/heal-health-care-now.html|title=Press Center -- News Releases & Statements|website=Aafp.com|access-date=23 April 2017}}

Beyond healthcare, Doctors for America has advocated for gun control, including an assault weapons ban.{{cite web |last1=Costello |first1=Carol |title=Feinstein to Introduce New Gun Control Bill; Press Conference with Senator Dianne Feinstein; Frigid Temperatures Plague the Nation; Panetta to Announce Removing Ban on Women in Combat |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/cnr/date/2013-01-24/segment/05 |website=CNN |access-date=13 July 2022}} The group called gun violence a “public health epidemic.”{{cite news |last1=Dennis |first1=Brady |title=Hours before San Bernardino shooting, doctors urged Congress to lift funding ban on gun violence research |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/12/02/hours-before-san-bernardino-mass-shooting-doctors-were-on-capitol-hill-petitioning-congress-to-lift-ban-on-gun-violence-research/ |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=13 July 2022}} Doctors for America has endorsed defunding the police to reallocate the money toward social workers through the People’s Response Act.{{cite web |title=Letter to Congress |url=https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/letter-peoples-response-act.pdf |website=Physicians for Social Responsibility |access-date=13 July 2022}} The group also co-authored a report advising jails to release inmates during the pandemic.{{cite web |title=County Criminal Justice Stakeholder Toolkit |url=https://texascje.org/system/files/publications/COVID-19%2520County%2520Criminal%2520Justice%2520Stakeholder%2520Toolkit.pdf |website=Texas Criminal Justice Coalition |access-date=13 July 2022}}

Some commentators stated that this large coalition of doctors (the organizations collectively represented nearly 450,000) provided an important counterweight to the American Medical Association's organization's initial opposition to health reform in 2009;{{cite web |url=http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2009/06/15/the-ama-doesnt-represent-doctors/ |title=NOW! Blog » the AMA Doesn't Represent Doctors |access-date=2009-09-14 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925102216/http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2009/06/15/the-ama-doesnt-represent-doctors/ |archive-date=2009-09-25 }} later AMA statements supported health reform in principle.{{cite web |url=http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/ama-affirms-support.shtml |title=AMA - AMA Affirms Support for Health Reform This Year |access-date=2009-09-14 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007125016/http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/ama-affirms-support.shtml |archive-date=2009-10-07 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/obama-health-reform-address.shtml |title=AMA - AMA Reaction to President Obama's Address on Health System R |access-date=2009-09-14 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913074157/http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/obama-health-reform-address.shtml |archive-date=2009-09-13 }}

Doctors for America also organized a website, Voices of Physicians (www.voicesofphysicians.org), which allowed physicians to publicize their frustrations with the current health system and their recommendations for improvement,{{cite web|url=http://www.voicesofphysicians.org/|title=Voices of Physicians|website=Voicesofphysicians.org|access-date=23 April 2017}} and organized house meetings of physicians across the country to talk about health reform,{{cite web |url=http://www.drsforamerica.org/calendar/ |title=Calendar of Events - Doctors for America |access-date=2009-09-14 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829071950/http://www.drsforamerica.org/calendar/ |archive-date=2009-08-29 }} and interactive web talks with figures such as Jacob Hacker and Howard Dean,{{cite web |url=http://www.drsforamerica.org/learnmore.php |title=Learn More - Doctors for America |access-date=2009-09-14 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008103646/http://www.drsforamerica.org/learnmore.php |archive-date=2009-10-08 }} and participated in White House meetings on health reform.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/Streamed-and-Interactive-at-230-Health-Reform-Stakeholder-Meeting-with-Physicians/|title=Streamed and Interactive at 2:30: Health Reform Stakeholder Meeting with Physicians|date=18 June 2009|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|access-date=23 April 2017}}

File:Mandy Cohen, 2015.png]]

The organization was founded by Alice Chen, Vivek Murthy, and Mandy Cohen. In 2008 Cohen was National Outreach Director for the organization. She served as the organization's policy director and later as Executive Director.{{cite web|url=https://www.aafp.org/news/media-center/kits.html|title=Media Kits|website=American Academy of Family Physicians}}{{cite web |title=Mandy Krauthamer Cohen, M.D. '05, M.P.H. |url=https://medicine.yale.edu/ysm/news/yale-medicine-magazine/mandy-krauthamer-cohen-md-05-mph/|date=Winter 2010 |website=Yale School of Medicine}} On October 5, 2009, 50 of the organization's members met with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, followed by a reception at the White House Rose Garden, for the White Coat Rally.{{cite web |title=My Kind of Medicine: Real Lives of Practicing Internists: Mandy Krauthamer Cohen, MD |date= January 2010 |url=https://www.acponline.org/membership/medical-students/acp-impact/archive/january-2010/my-kind-of-medicine-real-lives-of-practicing-internists-mandy-krauthamer-cohen-md |website=ACP|access-date=26 March 2018 }}

On 14 November 2013, the co-founder and president of Doctors for America, Dr. Vivek Murthy, was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama to be the Surgeon General of the United States.{{Cite news|title = Obama nominating Dr. Vivek Murthy of Harvard and Brigham and Women's as surgeon general|date = 14 November 2013|url = http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blogs/white-coat-notes/2013/11/14/obama-nominating-vivek-murthy-harvard-and-brigham-and-women-surgeon-general/eo6mit1nNtLpUxE6VrizLJ/blog.html|last = Gil|first = Gideon|newspaper = Boston Globe|access-date = 15 November 2013}} He served as the 19th Surgeon General, and was in office from December 18, 2014 – April 21, 2017.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Murthy worked on then-candidate Obama’s New England steering committee shortly before founding Doctors for Obama.{{cite web |title=As a Yale student, surgeon general nominee's energy and compassion were apparent |url=https://medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/as-a-yale-student-surgeon-general-nominees-energy/ |website=Murthy worked on then-candidate Obama’s New England steering committee shortly before founding Doctors for Obama. Other senior advisors to Doctors for Obama, including Irwin Redelener and David Blumenthal, also simultaneously served as advisors to candidate Obama’s campaign. |access-date=13 July 2022}} In October 2022, President Joe Biden nominated Murthy to be the U.S. representative on the World Health Organization's executive board. {{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Jeff |title=Exclusive: Biden to nominate U.S. surgeon general to join WHO executive board, official says |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-biden-nominate-us-surgeon-general-join-who-executive-board-official-2022-10-04/ |website=Reuters |access-date=5 October 2022}} Other senior advisors to Doctors for Obama, including Irwin Redelener and David Blumenthal, also simultaneously served as advisors to candidate Obama’s campaign.

In 2019, the National Physicians Alliance merged with Doctors for America.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2019/02/14/whats-in-the-funding-deal-for-health-care-512818|title=What's in the funding deal for health care|work=Politico|date=February 14, 2019}} Doctors for America has also maintained financial partnerships with other major organizations, including the Center for American Progress{{cite web |last1=McElhatten |first1=Jim |title=Obama's surgeon general nominee connected to left-leaning think tank |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/dec/23/obamas-surgeon-general-nominee-connected-to-left-l/ |website=Washington Times |access-date=18 August 2022}} and Planned Parenthood.{{cite web |title=DOCTORS FOR AMERICA STATEMENT ON WOMEN'S HEALTH & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS |url=https://doctorsforamerica.org/doctors-for-america-statement-on-womens-health-reproductive-rights/ |website=Doctors for America |date=14 September 2021 |access-date=18 August 2022}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.drsforamerica.org/ Doctors for America] official website
• [http://www.voicesofphysicians.org Voices of Physicians] official website

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Category:Medical associations based in the United States

Category:Healthcare reform advocacy groups in the United States

Category:Medical and health organizations based in Washington, D.C.