Dr. Elizabeth Burpee, CIR Executive Vice President, represented both health care workers and labor at an Albuquerque meeting with Vice President Biden. |
On November 16, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden met industry and community leaders in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And who met him as a representative both for physicians and organized labor? CIR’s own Executive Vice President, Dr. Elizabeth Burpee.
Vice President Biden was visiting Albuquerque to rally support for democratic Congressman in the state and to address health care reform, education and other issues affecting working families.
Dr. Burpee, who had previously served as CIR’s Secretary-Treasurer, said she was surprised and honored to be the sole labor leader at the event, and she saw it as a great opportunity. She recently completed her residency at University of New Mexico and was part of the campaign to form a CIR chapter at the hospital three years ago. Currently, she works as an attending physician in the New Mexico VA Health Care System.
Dr. Burpee made sure she identified herself as a “union doctor at the VA,” she said.
“When I introduced myself to Vice President Joe Biden as a CIR/SEIU doctor, he responded with an enthusiastic ‘Thank you,’” Dr. Burpee said. “I was proud to be representing labor in New Mexico at the event.”
During the event, opponents of health care reform (“tea partiers”) were expected to protest outside the venue. CIR joined with partner organizations to mobilize pro-health care reform activists, including Dr. Burpee’s husband. The supporters outnumbered the protesters by far.