If I really had thought that this position was not going to be able to make a difference for people, I wouldn't do it, nor would I stay. The position of Physician General is seen by some as a bargaining chip for dropping the requirement that the Health Secretary be a physician. Mostly, I see myself as being a facilitator for all sorts of public health issues. I don't see myself as representing physicians from a political perspective. I don't believe it's my job to necessarily get in there and lobby for this change or that change.
Physicians have very differing views on issues.
There's a lot of turf battles between different disciplines. I believe that my number one responsibility is to the citizens of the Commonwealth, and not to any particular interest groups. There will probably be positions that I will take that some physicians will be in favor of and others will not, but that's my job. There are huge numbers of issues that are put on my plate at this point, and I need to decide how to prioritize those. Ultimately, my goal is to look at quality and access, and how do we best get patients served.