I have been a family doctor for 30 years, over 20 of them in Southside Central Virginia. I have always practiced “old time” family medicine: delivering babies and Medicare wellness exams, hospital visits, and office checkups. I also teach interns and resident doctors. Our motto in family medicine when I began practice was, “We specialize in YOU!”

I have treated patients from all walks of life. Babies and grandpas, people of all backgrounds and beliefs, men and women, patients with different political views, saints and felons – all of them have come into my office, and I have tried to do my best for each one of them. I think most doctors are like that. When you walk into the office of a good, caring doctor, their job is to help you, and that comes before everything else.

Being a family doctor means being a problem solver. For me in family medicine, that has always meant more than just treating an infection or adjusting blood pressure medicine. At times, it has meant everything from getting an electric bill paid to finding housing for someone. But now, my patients and I are increasingly battling the whole healthcare system. It makes me feel horrible that my patients cannot get treatments that I know they need. And that is what is pushing me to run for Congress.

I was brought up learning to reconcile contradictions. My father, who was born in Poland in 1932, survived the Nazis and then the Communists. He is a strong believer in military deterrence. But when I was a child, my parents sent me to a Quaker school, and Quakers are known for being pacifists. I found that often the best way forward through many competing interests is somewhere in middle. A bird cannot fly with just a “right wing” or a “left wing.” It needs both wings. In Congress, I would want to look at multiple sides of problems, and come up with PRACTICAL, COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS.

I have lived in an old farmhouse in Bedford County since 2003, and we currently share it with dogs, cats, chickens and a neurotic horse. I have an amazing daughter who is now studying at one of our Virginia state universities. My 89 year-old mother has also
moved in with us after losing her husband last year – three generations under one roof. My faith is fundamental to who I am, and I try to nourish it at our Catholic church, where I have helped with music and children’s services. I enjoy hiking, dinners with friends, and learning languages. I love living in Central Virginia, and I want to stand up to make this an even better place for all of us.