I wanted to hear Hillary speak, and, more important to me, I wanted my 8-year-old daughter to see the first woman with a realistic chance of becoming president. I was unable to attend Senator Clinton's Seattle appearance due to a prior commitment but was excited about a Healthcare Town Hall that was scheduled for the morning of Friday, February 8 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. Lenora didn't want go because she didn't want to miss school. I pulled rank as her mom and insisted that some day she'd be glad I made her go. (Two months later, I'm still convinced she'll be glad she went but she still doubts it.)
I was so excited that I'd get to see Hillary talk about healthcare (my personal passion!!!) and maybe even have an opportunity to ask her a question in the town hall setting. I'm excited about the ideas Hillary has about how to fix healthcare and I'd love to have a few hours to sit down and talk about her plans. So I was motivated to get to UPS early enough that we'd be able to get a seat close enough that I might be called on to ask a question. I planned to get to Tacoma about an hour - 2 hours early (at the mercy of Puget Sound traffic) in hopes of getting a good seat. As Lenora and I drove into the neighborhood of the UPS Field House, my spirits fell; there were so many people and so much traffic that I was sure we'd be left sitting in the back row of the highest bleachers. As we drove slowly past the field house searching for parking, I saw a group of people near the entrance with signs that read "Nurses for Hillary!" I wanted one of those signs! I pointed them out to Lenora and she was excited to help me try to get a sign. As we drove on, we saw the line of people waiting to get into the field house wind down the street and around the block.
We found parking and began the trudge back to the front of the line where I had seen the group of nurses. Lenora was getting excited now; we were on a quest for a “Nurses for Hillary” sign and it was actually a bit fun. When we go to the group of nurses, I found someone handing out signs and asked for a sign. She asked if I am a nurse. When I said “yes” she handed me a sign and pointed me to the door. “Wait here,” she said. “We nurses will be going in first and sitting front and center.” I asked her if there was a process for submitting a question. “Jump up and wave your sign when she asks for questions. You’ll be sitting in the front and hopefully she’ll call on you.”
After waiting about 1/2 an hour, the doors opened and we walked in. As the nurses filed in, campaign workers and volunteers were lining the walkway and applauding us. As I write about this more than 2 months later, it still brings tears to my eyes. I have seldom felt so honored to be a nurse.
Lenora and I were directed to seats about 6 rows back on the aisle, right in the main sight line of the speaker’s podium. While waiting for the field house to fill and the speakers to take the stage, we met many interesting people sitting around us. Some were nurses; others were people with hard-luck stories about how they had been passed over by the current healthcare system. One elderly woman was active with the League of Women Voters and was excited that about Hillary’s historical run for office. She had stories of how she had seen the plight of women improve over her lifetime. She gave Lenora a Sacagawea dollar and told Lenora a brief story of how the young woman had lead the explorers through the wilderness with a baby on her back. She told me that whenever possible she gives young girls these dollars in hopes that they will feel empowered to grow into strong women. I think the point was lost on Lenora but I was touched by the gesture.
After what seemed like an eternity to Lenora, the event started with speakers including former Governor Gary Locke, Senator Maria Cantwell, and other Washington State Democratic luminaries. In addition to elected officials, representatives of the Washington State Nurses’ Association and the American Nurses’ Association announced endorsements of Senator Clinton.
All of the introductory speeches were inspiring but the crowd absolutely roared when Hillary finally took the stage. Lenora joined in with the chants of “Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!” At one point, as Senator Clinton was scanning the crowd, she saw Lenora and waved at her and winked. Very exciting for an 8-year-old and her mom!
When the cheering died down and Senator Clinton started talking policy, Lenora started playing Nintendo. I thought she completely zoned out on her surroundings, but on the drive home she asked me questions about specific things Hillary had mentioned about healthcare, immigration, and oil. While this was billed as a Healthcare Town Hall, Hillary spent time talking about other points of policy. I was impressed with her plans for energy independence (no oil company subsidies), withdrawal from Iraq (with consideration shown to the Iraqi civilians who have assisted American troops), and immigration (modified amnesty). The woman I had admired for her health and social services policy work was wowing me with her policy plans for so many of the issues important to me!
After the speech, Hillary announced that she was ready to take questions. “I want the first question to be from a healthcare provider. Is there a nurse with a question?” I jumped to my feet and waved my sign. I was stunned, excited, and very nervous when she pointed to me and said, “Yes, over here, in the pink jacket.” That was me! I started in on my question, shouting it in Hillary’s direction. The crowd of 6,000 people fell quiet as I struggled to be heard. A microphone was requested but not provided in time for my question. I had prepared my question based on my personal experience as a clinic RN in an OB/Gyn practice. So often I talk to women who have difficulty getting to the clinic during regular office hours due to their job or childcare situation. My question (which I’m quite sure I blundered through) was this: “There is a great deal of discussion about providing access to healthcare for all Americans. However, access to care means more than just health insurance. In my practice I talk to women who are unable to schedule necessary medical appointments out of fear of retribution at work or difficulties arranging childcare during traditional clinic hours. Do you have a plan to improve physical access to care, particularly among the working poor?” (That was the prepared version of my question. I’m sure my actual words were more like “Um. Access to care is more than insurance. Working poor not able to get to appointments. How you going to fix that?” Hopefully is was more eloquent than that but that’s what it felt like as I was shaking with the piece of paper with my now unreadable [due to the shaking] note in my hand.) Because I had no microphone, she repeated my question for the audience. I don’t remember her words, but it was my question, more succinct and eloquent than my original prepared version.
And then she answered my question. I should say that I was looking for an answer something along the lines of funding for non-traditional clinics for non-urgent care located at hospitals and community centers with weekend and evening hours. She mentioned that solution in passing. But her answer went so much deeper than what I had imagined. She spoke about expanding FMLA to include wellness care, increasing funding for nursing education to add to the nursing workforce, creating incentives for doctors, mid-level providers (Nurse Practitioners and Physicians’ Assistants), and nurses to work non-standard hours, and promoting preventative/wellness care to reduce needs for acute visits.
After my question, many more people stood and waited for a turn at the microphone. Many of the questions were heartbreaking personal hardship questions from people who were basically screwed by the insurance system in its current form. I’m a bit ashamed to say that I don’t really remember many of the questions other than my own. She had answered my question and I was flying on air!!!
After the questions, the crowd was dismissed. Lenora and I made our way up the few rows to where the stage area was roped off. This was our chance. I wanted my daughter to meet the first woman to seriously contend for the presidency of the United States, a woman I greatly admire, and the (hopefully) future president of our country.
The picture says it all. My little girl will always know that girls can do anything. Even be president!
We found parking and began the trudge back to the front of the line where I had seen the group of nurses. Lenora was getting excited now; we were on a quest for a “Nurses for Hillary” sign and it was actually a bit fun. When we go to the group of nurses, I found someone handing out signs and asked for a sign. She asked if I am a nurse. When I said “yes” she handed me a sign and pointed me to the door. “Wait here,” she said. “We nurses will be going in first and sitting front and center.” I asked her if there was a process for submitting a question. “Jump up and wave your sign when she asks for questions. You’ll be sitting in the front and hopefully she’ll call on you.”After waiting about 1/2 an hour, the doors opened and we walked in. As the nurses filed in, campaign workers and volunteers were lining the walkway and applauding us. As I write about this more than 2 months later, it still brings tears to my eyes. I have seldom felt so honored to be a nurse.
Lenora and I were directed to seats about 6 rows back on the aisle, right in the main sight line of the speaker’s podium. While waiting for the field house to fill and the speakers to take the stage, we met many interesting people sitting around us. Some were nurses; others were people with hard-luck stories about how they had been passed over by the current healthcare system. One elderly woman was active with the League of Women Voters and was excited that about Hillary’s historical run for office. She had stories of how she had seen the plight of women improve over her lifetime. She gave Lenora a Sacagawea dollar and told Lenora a brief story of how the young woman had lead the explorers through the wilderness with a baby on her back. She told me that whenever possible she gives young girls these dollars in hopes that they will feel empowered to grow into strong women. I think the point was lost on Lenora but I was touched by the gesture.
After what seemed like an eternity to Lenora, the event started with speakers including former Governor Gary Locke, Senator Maria Cantwell, and other Washington State Democratic luminaries. In addition to elected officials, representatives of the Washington State Nurses’ Association and the American Nurses’ Association announced endorsements of Senator Clinton.
All of the introductory speeches were inspiring but the crowd absolutely roared when Hillary finally took the stage. Lenora joined in with the chants of “Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!” At one point, as Senator Clinton was scanning the crowd, she saw Lenora and waved at her and winked. Very exciting for an 8-year-old and her mom!
When the cheering died down and Senator Clinton started talking policy, Lenora started playing Nintendo. I thought she completely zoned out on her surroundings, but on the drive home she asked me questions about specific things Hillary had mentioned about healthcare, immigration, and oil. While this was billed as a Healthcare Town Hall, Hillary spent time talking about other points of policy. I was impressed with her plans for energy independence (no oil company subsidies), withdrawal from Iraq (with consideration shown to the Iraqi civilians who have assisted American troops), and immigration (modified amnesty). The woman I had admired for her health and social services policy work was wowing me with her policy plans for so many of the issues important to me!After the speech, Hillary announced that she was ready to take questions. “I want the first question to be from a healthcare provider. Is there a nurse with a question?” I jumped to my feet and waved my sign. I was stunned, excited, and very nervous when she pointed to me and said, “Yes, over here, in the pink jacket.” That was me! I started in on my question, shouting it in Hillary’s direction. The crowd of 6,000 people fell quiet as I struggled to be heard. A microphone was requested but not provided in time for my question. I had prepared my question based on my personal experience as a clinic RN in an OB/Gyn practice. So often I talk to women who have difficulty getting to the clinic during regular office hours due to their job or childcare situation. My question (which I’m quite sure I blundered through) was this: “There is a great deal of discussion about providing access to healthcare for all Americans. However, access to care means more than just health insurance. In my practice I talk to women who are unable to schedule necessary medical appointments out of fear of retribution at work or difficulties arranging childcare during traditional clinic hours. Do you have a plan to improve physical access to care, particularly among the working poor?” (That was the prepared version of my question. I’m sure my actual words were more like “Um. Access to care is more than insurance. Working poor not able to get to appointments. How you going to fix that?” Hopefully is was more eloquent than that but that’s what it felt like as I was shaking with the piece of paper with my now unreadable [due to the shaking] note in my hand.) Because I had no microphone, she repeated my question for the audience. I don’t remember her words, but it was my question, more succinct and eloquent than my original prepared version.
And then she answered my question. I should say that I was looking for an answer something along the lines of funding for non-traditional clinics for non-urgent care located at hospitals and community centers with weekend and evening hours. She mentioned that solution in passing. But her answer went so much deeper than what I had imagined. She spoke about expanding FMLA to include wellness care, increasing funding for nursing education to add to the nursing workforce, creating incentives for doctors, mid-level providers (Nurse Practitioners and Physicians’ Assistants), and nurses to work non-standard hours, and promoting preventative/wellness care to reduce needs for acute visits.
After my question, many more people stood and waited for a turn at the microphone. Many of the questions were heartbreaking personal hardship questions from people who were basically screwed by the insurance system in its current form. I’m a bit ashamed to say that I don’t really remember many of the questions other than my own. She had answered my question and I was flying on air!!!
After the questions, the crowd was dismissed. Lenora and I made our way up the few rows to where the stage area was roped off. This was our chance. I wanted my daughter to meet the first woman to seriously contend for the presidency of the United States, a woman I greatly admire, and the (hopefully) future president of our country.
The picture says it all. My little girl will always know that girls can do anything. Even be president!
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