Thread by @AndrewMakeTweet

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman Yes! But a few thoughts:

1) We should organize as health workers, not doctors.

2) We need to avoid saviorism, learn allyship.

3) We need to organize for self-protection, quality patient care, better societal structures, and the political change that enables all of the above.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman 4) We need to learn from actual organizers e.g.:

@resist_school from the community organizers who trained Obama youtube.com/channel/UCqC33…

@momentum_tweets of Sunrise/GND prominence youtube.com/user/MovementM…

@rsgexp No Shortcuts, and listen to this:

https://twitter.com/curaffairs/status/1113782348489871362

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 5a) We need to fix the meta-narrative from the technical, utilitarian "health units aren't optimized or equitable one."

We must focus more on the personal, inter-personal, and moral.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 5b) Our meta-narrative must include the moral injury to us from working in broken systems and performing healthcare in a society that neglects or harms our patients.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 5c) Our meta-narrative must include our struggle to meet our professional ethical responsibilities to our patients, especially our responsibilities to go beyond the clinical (e.g. via advocacy).

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 6a) We need to own the fact that our existing channels for health worker organizing are ineffective, fragmented, and/or corrupted.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 6b) There's lots of good work coming from unions, advocacy organizations, and professional organization, but they are degraded by member engagement that is basically just email asks for money, by issue/profession siloing, and by hyper-self-interest.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7a) I want a health worker organizing home that is more boldly progressive/left in values, policy preferences, and sense of urgency.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7b) I want a health worker organizing home that is more ok with politics in general, and with electoral politics in particular.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7c) I want a health worker organizing home that is more comfortable with escalated tactics like protest, civil disobedience, and birddogging.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7d) I want a health worker organizing home that is interprofessional! There are 1 million doctors in the US, another ~6 million in all health professions (e.g. RN, PT, OT, SLP, SW, PsyD, pharmacists, etc.), and millions more HHAs, medical assistants, etc. We're stronger together!

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7e) I want a health worker organizing home that is focused on more than just one issue!

And more than just healthcare!

We need social determinants and political determinants, too! #SDoH #PublicHealth #PDoH

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7f) I want a health worker organizing home that is good at being allied with affected communities. We need less savior mentality, less self-importance, and more showing up for and standing with people living with what we witness.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7g) I want a health worker organizing home that is not distracted by building organizations, careers, CVs. There's so much bullshitting, self-promoting, and hyping that it's hard to see genuine concern and the genuine action.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7h) I want a health worker organizing home that is focused on building a space that is focused on co-ownership and equity. We need more non-white men. We need flatter power structures.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 7i) I want a health worker organizing home that prioritizes in-person, local organizing. We need to go beyond mass emails and social media advocacy. We need human interaction. Let's build communities of action in our places of training and work.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 8) So:

If you are a doer who wants to be an organizer, be in touch.

If you're an issue organizer who wants to be a community organizer, be in touch.

If you're very social, care a ton, and want to start acting be in touch.

DMs open.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 9) These thoughts have been popping up in conversations for the past few years. There's no clear form, but many of us are increasingly ready and committed to act together. More to come, but please be in touch if you want to discuss this more.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 10) Also, just like professionalism demands that we be lifelong learners, and thus requires employers to give us CME time, we should demand "advocacy time" to do our *professionally required* organizing and activism.

@EricTopol @NewYorker @joshuarothman @MelvinBackman @resist_school @momentum_tweets @rsgexp 11) We can't rely on those whose formal role or elite status allows political action (e.g. professional society CEOs, thought leaders). This has failed.

We need all-hands-on-deck people power. We need to grow the grassroots, to build the base.

Relevant:

https://twitter.com/ksabeelrahman/status/1157314503534612483

@EricTopol 😂😂😂

New business card?