November 8, 2011 -- The Oregon Physicians’ Group Mad As Hell Doctors received a prestigious award in Washington, D.C on October 29 at the annual meeting of the Physicians for a National Health Program. The Dr. Quentin Young Health Activist award was accepted by Dr. Michael Huntington, a Corvallis doctor and a founder of the group, on behalf of MAHD.
Mad as Hell Doctors traveled the country in a caravan in 2009, singing, speaking, and showing videos in 30 towns in 15 states to raise awareness of the need for universal health care in this country, and to point out a single payer health plan as the way to get there. The caravan ended with a rally in Lafayette Park outside the White House, and was followed by a dozen more caravans in Oregon and California.
Members of Mad As Hell Doctors have organized at rallies across the country, published in the New York Times, assisted with a Portland single payer conference with 600 attendees, participated in a National Public Radio panel on health care, and helped draft Oregon’s statewide single payer bill, whose public hearing last March drew hundreds of supporters from around the state. The group continues to tour, speak and advocate for health care reform.
In accepting the award, Dr. Huntington said, “It helps you to inform and motivate the listener if you are having fun while you are doing it.” He noted, “Single payer health care works for our veterans and their families. It will work for the rest of us. All we need is to convince our legislators to do the right thing.”
