Dr. Mehmet Oz is one of the most famous doctors in the country. He became famous on Oprah and now has his own show. He appears to be an incredibly kind and caring many and demonstrates a very gentle style in teaching people health. He has become very popular because he seems to be very likeable, approachable, and smart.
Today, September 26, 2009 he is in Houston, Texas in Reliant Stadium where a massive free clinic will be held in Houston on Saturday, Sept. 27, offered by the "The Dr. Oz Show" and the National Association of Free Clinics.
Hundreds of volunteers, including 160 doctors and 200 nurses, will be on hand to provide care. The clinic will be at the Reliant Center, One Reliant Park.
Celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz will participate in the event, which will be taped for an upcoming show devoted to families living without health insurance and the medical volunteers who help them.
Texas has a population where 24% of the people have no health insurance, and Houston was targeted as a place with great needs. Lot of volunteers are there today, doing good work.
Dr. Oz made the observation that this clinic demonstrates the best and worst of America.
Those words have been sticking with me because, I think, he’s right.
On one level, it demonstrates our worse. We do have a healthcare crisis. We do and I hope most people realize this. How we solve it can be up for discussion and debate and I wish the discussion was actually taken more serious by leaders who try to score points rather than solve problems. For a nation as wealth as our nation is, to have the number of people we have without adequate medical coverage, is wrong on so many levels. If for no other reason, many people with no money and no insurance do get cared for in hospitals and we all foot the bill providing health care at its most expensive.
It is interesting to note that these clinics were started by people providing aid for the people in third world countries. They have found that the United States has health care for many citizens akin to that of the folks in a third world country. This is us at our worst.
It is also us at our best.
The medical professionals at this event are volunteering their time. Many doctors, in many specialities do volunteer their time. We have all seen physicians, dentists, eye doctors, etc., provide care for people in need, people who have no money and no way of paying for their care. Many in the medical community have been exceedingly generous with their time, their talent, and their resources to care for people less fortunate than they do. There are also many doctors who work in poor area, who are often paid less than many of their colleagues, but have committed themselves to caring for people in difficult urban situations or in the most rural, remote portions of the country. There is much good that takes place and we’d all be remiss if we did not recognize this and honor this.
Today let us celebrate those who do the good work they do and enable them to inspire all of us to do better.
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