For the past 30 years, July 1 has been a time of “new beginnings” for me. On this date in 1989, I started the first day of my pediatrics internship at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.  On July 1, 1990, I became a second-year pediatric resident and helped train the incoming interns (for a very good article on the importance of supporting and encouraging residents, I recommend “LET’S GIVE THOSE NEW RESIDENTS A LITTLE CREDIT….” by Edwin Leap at medium.com).

More recently, July 1 was not just a new beginning but a re-inventing of myself. In 2018, I left the comfort and security of a very well-paid employed position as a pediatrician and joined forces with other like-minded Physicians on a mission to help “save” health care from the bureaucracy it has become.  We regularly travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators, as we did in April when a white paper (an abridged version of its premise is featured in this month’s PO) was presented to a bipartisan audience.

As I look back on the 30th anniversary of starting my medical career, I am proud of the progress I have made. I feel a bit like I did my intern year…but just (a little) older and wiser!

Now employed one week per month at one of the best children’s hospital in the country, the rest of the month is MY OWN. I no longer answer to those who put profit over Patients.

I became credentialed as a telemedicine provider and love the flexibility of being able to work from home, “seeing” Patients from the comfort of their own homes or workplaces.

Licensed in 11 states, my goal is to become licensed in all 50 states and U.S. territories within the next five years. My eventual goal is to become a Direct Care Telemedicine Physician, specializing in seeing children with special health care needs, as well as children in families who frequently travel.

Like Dr. Daniel Olivero, M.D. who is featured in this month’s PO, as well as HO’s School Library, I have become credentialed as a locum tenens pediatrician.

I am proficient in using several different Electronic Health Records, and I am working on a list I call “999 reasons why EHR has ruined Medicine.”

As a contributing editor to The Hispanic Outlook on Education, I am learning how the publishing industry works with the goal of establishing Physician Outlook, my own online and print magazine.

I am president of Do No Harm, PLLC, and a founding partner of Healthified, LLC, companies that are dedicated to the preservation of Physician autonomy and Physician-Patient relationships. Obstacles to these goals are the problems associated with tort reform and malpractice (both discussed in this month’s issue of PO).

I survived my daughter’s first year away from home in college by simultaneously leaving the nest too. My husband has remained our rock. Although we don’t see each other very often, we talk every night, recently celebrated our 20th anniversary and when we meet in person, we make it count!