Flashback Friday: From the Halls of the ED to the Halls of Congress

<p><strong>Overview<br /></strong>In this episode originally released in 2019, Drs. RJ Sontag and Andrew Meltzer interview fellow emergency physician Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-CA, to explore how medical students, residents, and recent grads can become advocates for their patients and their profession outside the emergency department. As EMRA's 2019 Congressional Health Policy Fellow, Dr. Sontag worked with Dr. Ruiz on Capitol Hill to turn medical and policy research into legislative solutions on a wide range of topics, from firearm violence prevention to surprise billing to youth nicotine use.</p> <p><strong>Hosts<br /></strong><strong>RJ Sontag, MD<br /></strong>President, EMRA<br /> Residency: UT Health San Antonio<br /> Medical school: Wright State University<br /> <a href="https://www.emra.org/emresident/authors/rj-sontag-md/">EM Resident Articles</a><br /> Twitter: <a href= "https://twitter.com/rjsontagmd">@RJSontagMD</a></p> <p><strong>Andrew Meltzer, MD, MS</strong><br /> Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, George Washington University<br /> Director, Urgent Matters<br /> Fellowship: Clinical Research, University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center<br /> Residency: University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center<br /> Medical School: SUNY Downstate School of Medicine<br /> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/ACMeltzer">@ACMeltzer</a></p> <p><strong>Guest<br /> Raul Ruiz, MD, MPH, MPP</strong><br /> United States Congressman (CA-36)<br /> Fellowship: International Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital<br /> Residency: University of Pittsburgh<br /> Medical School: Harvard University<br /> Twitter: @<a href= "https://twitter.com/CongressmanRuiz">CongressmanRuiz</a></p> <p><strong>Key Points</strong></p> <ul> <li>Being an emergency physician provides a unique perspective on governing</li> <li>Our understanding of the needs of underserved and underinsured populations can influence policy decisions</li> <li>Patient health involves more than just the care we provide in the emergency department</li> <li>Social