I was just flipping through our Flickr photo album trying to find a picture from a recent event and I was amazed by what I saw. I know we've still got a long way to go in our fight to fix healthcare; and I know that the hardest work is yet to come (especially the next 6 days). But I want to ask you to take just a minute to stop and breathe right now. Take a minute to look back at how far we've come and what we've accomplished together:

We've met with elected officials and candidates at every level of government and talked with them about the healthcare crisis. From state legislators to U.S. senators, Healthcare United caregivers across the country have been meeting with candidates to share firsthand accounts of the state of America's healthcare system. And we've gone a step further - having them sign the Healthcare for America Now! pledge to let them know we'll still be paying attention after November 4th.

We sent over 4,000 Prescriptions for Change to the national conventions for both political parties. You wrote some of the most thoughtful, informed proposals for fixing healthcare that I've ever seen. And, believe me, I've read through a lot of proposals in the last few months. Dr. Toni Lewis went to Denver with your prescriptions in hand and delivered them to key congressional leaders to show them that caregivers know better than anyone what it will take to get our system working for patients and not insurance companies.

We've stood side-by-side with celebrities, community leaders, and healthcare allies to get our message heard. When it comes to finding solutions to the problems with the healthcare system, nobody beats caregivers. But, when it comes to getting the public to sit up and take notice, it doesn't hurt to have a television celebrity on hand. Recently, ER's Laura Innes and Gloria Reuben joined healthcare workers to knock doors and talk with voters about the importance of healthcare in this election. 

  We've brought thousands of caregivers together through phone calls, emails, and face-to-face meetings. Of everything we've done together, I'm most proud of the community we've built among healthcare professionals. You've shared with us your stories of coming together with your colleagues and talking about the issues you face on the job and what it's going to take to make it better. You've shared a lot of laughs together - and a few tears. But, mostly, you've given each other the inspiration to keep the fight going in your town and at your hospital or care center; because you know that it's part of something much bigger, happening all across the country. Those are the moments that I talk about when people ask me what I do. Those are the moments that make me proud to be a part of this movement and hopeful for the future of healthcare.

There's a lot of work left to do. It's a lot to ask of caregivers, I know. When you come home after a 12 hour shift and you see a new email from Dr. Toni asking for just a few more phone calls, or just one more email to a decision maker - it can be daunting. But, those little extra steps that you take are what have brought us so far in just a few months. We're closer than we've ever been before.

Keep fighting. Keep challenging each other to think differently about the way things are and the way things could be. Together, we will make healthcare happen.

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