Thanks, Mom!

In last month’s Monitor, the lead articles, written by Drs. Plagenhoef, Sibert and Zaafran, each discussed, to one degree or another, physician advocacy as an aspect of physician leadership. And though my column only indirectly touched on physician advocacy, I certainly agree that it is one facet of physician leadership. It makes me proud to state that my mother, Veronica “Roni” Giesecke, is the person who initiated my interest in physician-led legislative advocacy. When I was a youngster, she used to drag me door to door as she walked the neighborhood for a political candidate. My mom and dad typically voted for the opposite party’s candidates. Dad used to be resigned to the fact that in any election, his vote always cancelled out her vote. What he did not consider was that my mom had probably persuaded tens, if not scores, of other folks to vote for her candidate....