All pay the price for the lack of medical care

AS A DOCTOR, I’ve seen that, as a community, we are only as healthy as the least healthy among us. That’s been particularly clear during the pandemic. When our neighbors can’t access or afford the medical care they need to live and thrive, we all pay the price. New Mexicans doing essential work to keep us safe and our economy going might have to show up to work sick because they don’t have a choice to get treatment. Our fellow school families may have to make tough decisions about sending their children back into the classrooms because, if they get sick, medical care might break the bank. To protect each other and strengthen our communities, we must work now to expand health care. Improving access and affordability will help us get through this pandemic and future ones. It’s the right thing to do, and the smart thing to do.

DR. KAREN CAMPBELL, Pediatrician, Albuquerque