My Values

As a pulmonary and critical care physician, I've spent over two decades caring for the sickest members of our community. Every day, I witness the impact that limited access to care has on my patients and on our community as a whole. Our current healthcare system prioritizes treating illness rather than preventing it. I’m committed to making sure we do both and we do it at a cost people can afford. Central to my vision is that every Oregonian, no matter where they live, has easy access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. This will take innovative approaches to providing care, meeting people where their needs are, and making sure we build a workforce that is able to practice medicine without unnecessary barriers that limit face-to-face time with patients. We must work toward the goal of adopting a single-payer model, and it must include comprehensive behavioral health, vision, dental, and prescription drug coverage.

What I’ve Done

In the Oregon legislature, I have persistently led in healthcare innovation. I have championed improved access to telemedicine, dental and behavioral healthcare; modernization of our public health system; expansion of school-based health centers; upstream investments in housing, food and climate resilience to prevent illness and disease; true value-based payment models that will get rid of our fee-for-service payment system; pharmacy benefit manager regulation and reform; investments in loan repayment for rural health providers; health system reform that incentivizes patient-centered care; a cap on the price of insulin; and expansion of Medicaid benefits to Oregonians, regardless of immigration status.

How I’ll Lead

● Pass legislation to ensure every American has access to high-quality, affordable health care with the ultimate goal of a single-payer model.

● Make sure every American has access to safe, affordable medications.

● Innovate how we attract, train and retain healthcare professionals, making sure we have a workforce that meets the needs of our communities.

● Rigorously regulate pharmacy benefit managers and private equity investors in our healthcare system.

● Improve access to medication, healthy food, and healthcare for older Americans and those with disabilities.

My Values

As a parent, I know many of our children are plagued by anxiety about their future and the future of our planet. As a lung and critical care physician, I witness the direct impact of climate change and poor air quality on people's health every day. In Oregon, where heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness, and cancer rank among the top five causes of death, the correlation between air pollution and these diseases is undeniable. I will champion a swift transition to 100% renewable energy sources to eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels. This shift is crucial, especially for our socially and economically disadvantaged communities who bear the brunt of climate change's adverse health impacts. By addressing climate pollution, we simultaneously tackle health disparities, creating a healthier, more equitable future for all Oregonians.

What I’ve done

I passed budgets that allow the Department of Environmental Quality to implement the Climate Protection Program to require Oregon utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050. I’ve passed legislation that makes buildings more energy-efficient to further reduce emissions. I've fought for the Healthy Heating and Cooling for All initiative and the Right to Refuse Dangerous Work, both of which will prioritize low-income communities and outdoor workers to prevent heat wave deaths. I championed the bipartisan Drought Resilience and Water Security package which secured over $100 million to mitigate the impact of drought on tribes, families, and local farms. I also championed one of the nation’s pioneering Right to Repair laws, empowering Oregonians to repair their devices, reducing waste, and ensuring companies are held accountable.

How I’ll Lead

• Pass a Green New Deal to create more high-quality, good-paying jobs for Oregonians.

• Transition to 100% clean electricity nationwide to decarbonize our economy.

• Invest immediately in the development of “smart” transmission grids, especially in areas where renewable energy is being created to move green energy to places where it’s needed.

• Bury electrical lines wherever possible to prevent wildfires and power outages.

• Rapidly expand the availability of electric vehicle charging stations.

• Ban new development of fossil fuel infrastructure both on public lands and offshore.

• Invest in water infrastructure, preservation, and data collection.

• Protect our lush green forests from any attempts to irresponsibly harvest our trees.

• Double-down on habitat restoration programs to protect biodiversity and deter the proliferation of invasive species.

• Invest in expanding clean domestic manufacturing to make Oregon and the United States leaders in innovative, low-carbon, green manufacturing.

• Ban ‘forever’ PFAS chemicals from consumer goods.

• Hold corporations accountable for environmental pollution and secure funds to clean up polluted sites like the Willamette River.

My Values

I have experienced myself how affordable access to birth control and reproductive care are critical to our ability to create a secure future for ourselves and our families. As a physician, I know how personal these discussions and decisions are, and I know that they are best made by patients and their doctors – not politicians. MAGA extremists are attacking our fundamental rights in every way they can. We need leaders who understand the danger to our health – and to our democracy - that can result from being forced to cede control of our bodies to others and who are passionate about protecting reproductive rights. As a woman and a physician I am uniquely able to lead on this issue and as a mother I am determined to protect the rights of my children. Everyone must have the right to control their own bodies.

What I’ve Done

As abortion rights came under attack nationwide, I was proud to champion legislation that further cemented Oregon as a beacon of reproductive freedom. While in the legislature, I supported a bill to protect doctors and medical professionals from persecution and prosecution for providing abortions or gender-affirming care, including prohibiting the Oregon courts from working with other jurisdictions to impede individuals receiving or providing abortion care.

How I’ll Lead

● Protect access to abortion and reproductive healthcare across our nation through legislative action.

● Expand teaching programs that train clinicians to provide abortion and reproductive healthcare.

My Values

I have been a Moms Demand Action volunteer and am proud to be the only candidate in this race for CD3 with the Everytown for Gun Safety endorsement. As a mother, I've experienced the overwhelming fear of being unable to reach my daughter who was in lockdown for over 12 hours during a mass shooting incident on the University of Virginia campus on November 13, 2022. As a healthcare professional, I've witnessed the heartbreaking impact of gun violence on families and communities. As a physician leader I have served on state and national gun violence prevention task forces, and I recognize that this issue goes beyond mere policy: it deeply affects people's lives.

What I’ve Done

Since entering the legislature, I have been an effective advocate for common sense gun reform to protect our children, families, teachers, and neighbors. I fought to make Oregon the ninth state in the nation to ban non-serialized and undetectable ghost guns that are used by gun traffickers and people legally prohibited from buying firearms. I also fought to pass safe storage legislation which requires gun owners to secure weapons when not in use. Lastly, I have passed $47 million in investments for gun violence prevention.

How I’ll Lead

● Expand federal background checks to prevent prohibited individuals from purchasing guns without adequate scrutiny.

● Close the “Charleston loophole” to ensure officials have time to complete background checks.

● Invest in state Red Flag laws, which have proven effective in preventing firearm suicides and mass shootings.

● Establish and invest in community funds to support local violence intervention programs to support those at the highest risk of gun violence.

● Champion legislation to prevent abusers under final restraining orders from having firearms.

● Reauthorize the federal assault weapons ban to keep weapons of war off of our streets.

My Values

As a college student studying to be a doctor during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, I volunteered at Seattle's Bailey Boushay House, a support haven for those with AIDS, and worked in Dr. Larry Corey’s renowned retroviral lab conducting PCR tests on blood samples from clinical studies. Witnessing first-hand the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS, and the life-changing effects of new treatments that transformed AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic condition, I saw how bureaucratic delays in drug approval caused unnecessary loss of life. These experiences underscored the damaging effects of decades-long homophobic policies on our ability to use science to save lives.

The resilience and warmth of the clients at Bailey Boushay, despite their isolation and societal marginalization, deeply inspired me. Their acceptance fueled my resolve to champion the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ+ community, especially as transgender individuals face increasing attacks today from politicians. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to promote policies that protect their health and well-being, ensuring access to necessary treatments and advocating for a society that embraces equality and justice for all.

What I’ve Done

In the legislature, I have been a steadfast champion for the LGBTQ+ community. I passed legislation finally removing the so-called “gay panic” defense from Oregon law, protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from bigoted harm. I protected access to lifesaving gender-affirming care. With LGBTQ+ youth being at significantly increased risk of suicide, I streamlined suicide reporting to prevent harm from spreading in the community and worked to expand access to care in school-based health centers. I expanded access to PEP and PrEP.

How I’ll Lead

• Pass the Equality Act to ensure equal treatment in employment, housing, public accommodations, and more, establishing a much needed standard of protection for LGBTQ+ individuals nationwide.

• Hold states accountable for passing anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

• Expand access to PEP, PrEP, and gender-affirming healthcare to ensure everyone has power over their own body.

• Invest in youth mental health to support our LGBTQ+ youth who are significantly more likely to struggle with mental health challenges amid the ongoing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.

• Put an end to so-called “conversion therapy.”

• Guarantee that LGBTQ+ veterans receive equal access to benefits and support from the Department of Veterans Affairs.