Linda Alvarez, MD
Jackson Memorial Hospital
Regional Vice President Florida
In the current political climate, I have seen CIR step above and beyond the call of representing residents and addressing our needs. Working for a safety-net hospital in a previous sanctuary city (Miami), I have personally seen patients become apprehensive of trusting our hospital system. CIR has provided myself and my co-residents a platform to collectively voice our current concerns for our patients and the community we serve. Through ACA Town Hall meetings, national call-in days and community outreach events, CIR has provided me with a voice to not only care for my patients but protect my community.
I feel as though CIR has allowed me to become a more well-rounded resident. The different aspects of CIR including our advocacy work and collective bargaining, have taught me how to effectively and powerfully voice the concerns of my co-residents and myself. The various committees in CIR allow an opportunity to better my networking skills with other residents in my hospital as well as associated attendings and leaders in my community.
Although CIR uses multiple modalities to communicate with residents, I think an area of improvement would be accessibility. With the time demands and rotation schedules of multiple specialties being so different, some residents may feel that they cannot contribute to CIR because their schedules don’t allow it. I think encouraging residents to contribute to CIR in other ways (aside from just attending meetings) may engage more members to take an active role in the organization.
Our strength in CIR as an organization is the number of residents we are and we represent. Coming from a CIR chapter where members must “opt-in” to become part of the organization, I have learned how to engage my colleagues for the mission of CIR. I have also helped encourage resident members to be vocal about issues they show an interest in. I hope to use these acquired skills to help other CIR leaders do the same within their chapters and strengthen our CIR community.
