As a doctor, I took an oath to care for the well-being of my patients. Core to that oath are three general principles: To do good, to do no harm, and to empower my patients with the best available information so they can make the decisions that work best for them and their personal circumstances. I've sat with my patients as they've faced some of the most difficult situations of their lives. Now that I have the honor and privilege of serving as your representative, I'm staying true to my oath to improve health care for Sacramento County families.

Today, more people are gaining access to basic health care and our country has some of the best nurses, physicians, and hospitals in the world. At the same time, too many mothers and fathers are still paying more and more for health care while getting less and less, working even harder to get by when the next health bill could set them even further back. I've met with numerous local residents who are facing rising premiums, deductibles, and bureaucratic obstacles from both the government and their insurance companies. Meanwhile, many seniors on fixed incomes are paying higher costs and are worried about the future of the Medicare guarantee.

We can meet these challenges, but both parties have to do a better job of taking the politics out of health care and start focusing on solutions. As the former Chief Medical Officer for Sacramento County, I did just that by fighting to deliver quality health care to thousands of residents. That's why I'm working with my colleagues to prioritize patient care, lower health care costs, and protect Medicare for our seniors.