I'd like to thank Shelly Porges, Count Me In's Chair of the Board of Directors, for attending the First Lady's recent address on Health Care and representing the Count Me In community.  Shelly has been kind enough to share her observations with us.  -Nell
 

 
The great women's health activist, Margaret Sanger, once said, "Woman must not accept; she must challenge.  She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must revere that woman in her which struggles for expression." 
 
First Lady Michelle Obama's message Friday at the White House was an echo of that sentiment.  Women, she said, must recognize that healthcare reform is a women's issue and that the current system is prone to gender bias that prevents women from achieving "true equality."  As women, the First Lady continued, we should be ready to do all we can to ensure that the system is reformed.  All American families should have the security that they can both access and pay for medical care.  But I am jumping ahead here.
 
When Nell called me Thursday evening, Sept. 17, from Denver asking me to represent the organization at a gathering of the White House Council for Women and Girls, I was thrilled and honored.  Earlier, I had been to the White House to hear President Obama's speech on the economic stimulus a week after inauguration.  And now, the president had an even bigger challenge on his hands----healthcare reform---and his wife was stepping in and stepping up in a way she had not done on other policy issues.
 
As we gathered in the large conference room in the Eisenhower Executive Building, I met and talked with other leading women's and community organizations such as the Girl Scouts and the National Urban League, as well as large healthcare concerns such as FHC Healthcare.  We were all invited to hear the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, and the First Lady address our nation's health crisis.  It was a unique opportunity to be part of what is one of the most important conversations in America today.  It was also a chance to hear directly what changes are being proposed.
 
The buzz was palpable as the First Lady's entrance was announced and the cameras began flashing.  Mine was one of them as I recognized the familiar figure entering the room.  Now one of the most well-recognized faces in the country, Michelle Obama's was glowing and vibrant.  Smiling broadly as she entered the room, she was greeted by our warm and enthusiastic applause.  She was even more stunning in person than in the media.  Accompanying her was the HHS Secretary, both tall, elegant women with great presence.
 
The program was opened and the Secretary was introduced by White House Director of Public Liaison, Tina Chen.  We at Count Me In have come to know Tina well as she's become a real booster of the organization, recommending us to others in the Administration.  She recapped the Secretary's impressive credentials:  State Insurance Commissioner then Governor of Kansas and now 21st HHS Secretary.  The Secretary, in turn, reminded us about the dire need to reform our healthcare system in the US.  Whatever one's political views, it is clear to all that the cost of our current system, growing at double digit rates, is unsustainable---even for those insured today.  Add to that the hundreds of thousands of uninsured who place huge strains on the system and, more importantly, to the well-being of the country as a whole, and there is a compelling case to act now.  Secretary Sebelius then introduced Mrs. Obama.
 
Michelle Obama was born and raised in Chicago. After graduating Princeton University and Harvard Law School, she joined the firm of Sidley Austin where she met her future husband.  He was a summer intern she was assigned to mentor.  Subsequently, she worked as an administrator at the Universityof Chicago Medical Center so she has some real-life understanding of the workings of our healthcare system.
 
She shared with us some of the key trends the country is facing if the healthcare system is not reformed.  Beyond re-inforcing points made by Sec. Sebelius, she also talked about how the system particularly discriminates against women in a number of ways.  First, since women are most often the caretakers of both their families and their elders, the burden of solving these issues falls on them.  Second, women are often discriminated against in pricing, with younger women paying significantly more than younger men in many states for the same coverage simply because they might get pregnant where men cannot.  Finally, women are denied coverage for reasons ranging from having had a C-section to simply having been pregnant---supposed "pre-existing conditions."
 
But what was most striking about Michelle Obama and her talk about healthcare was how much she cares.  Not only did she introduce three women, each of whom told their personal stories about how our current system had victimized them, even when they were insured, but she spoke of times in her own life when her family was impacted.  Mrs. Obama's father was afflicted with multiple sclerosis, a debilitating condition that gets worse over time.  He was blessed with continuous healthcare coverage and a single employer who maintained it even as his health declined.  Thousands of others aren't as fortunate and she wondered what might have happened to her family under different circumstances.  "There but for the grace of God....this could happen to any of us."  Similarly, the Obamas' second daughter, Sasha, came down with a fever and mysterious condition when she was a baby.  Without specifying what Sasha had, she contemplated what it would be like for a parent without insurance whose child was similarly impacted.  Again, her conclusion was that it's impossible for any of us to imagine such a scenario nor should we or anyone else have to face such dire circumstances:  i.e., being unable to seek treatment for a loved one because we couldn't afford it.  In a country as rich as America, this is a disgrace that should not and will not be accepted.  The time for change is now.
 
And with that thought, and a brief outline of the president's proposals, she implored us to reach out to our networks to contact their members of Congress to let them know that we want health care reform now.  The country and the American people cannot wait.  If there were members of the audience not persuaded before the event, they were clearly won over afterward.  After a warm ovation, Mrs. Obama circulated, shaking hands, listening to stories and even dispensing hugs.  When she came to me, I thanked her for her leadership and powerful words and she thanked me and the Count Me In community for working hard to re-energize the country's economy through the growth of women-owned businesses and the jobs they create.
 
All in all, it was one of the most memorable moments since becoming CMI Board Chair.  Importantly, it reminded me that we each have a key role to play in this critical national movement.  As women but more importantly as leaders, we can play a critical role in moving the country forward.  All our input will make our government stronger and the solutions to this important set of issues better.  Whatever your politics, I hope you will choose to make a difference here as you have in so many other ways.

K. Shelly Porges