We embrace the culture of shared humanity and dignity. We believe that access to health care is a basic human right. We take pride in being an institution that welcomes everyone we're here today, because these values are being threatened. The federal government has proposed changes to the public charge rule that could jeopardize an immigrants ability to obtain a Green card should they access public benefits relating to health care and food and housing, Dr As a physician in all of us as citizens of this great nation strongly opposes these proposed changes as does our hospital community That's right That's right, our immigrant patients and employees should not be forced to sacrifice their pursuit of the American Dream should they require support for accessing basic necessities such as medical care, food and shelter in our great nation. That should never be an either or proposition. So the brigham community will formally oppose the public charge rule for our immigrant patients for their families and for our employees For our employees who are immigrants, we want you to know that the brigham family has your back. You are not alone. We will stand with you. We are here for you our heartfelt thanks to everyone here for the commitment to upholding our values and for supporting our immigrant employees are patients and their families. Thank you for being here, as a member of our hospital community. Your voice matters in this fight. Now it's my pleasure Introduce doctor Doug jacobs who's, a resident in the Department of medicine, founder and President of our staff. Council an incredible advocate on this issue. Dr jacobs recently published a very moving up ed in the New York times. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so. Dr jacobs, please join us As doctors, we shouldn't have to think about our patients immigration status, but now what I'm looking at a list of patients assigned to me in clinic. I can't help but wonder who would be affected and who might not be able to see me again a Haitian woman who just gave birth to her first child a Dominican elderly woman who takes medications to help process. Your process Center brittle bones A patient from ecuador who was just diagnosed with cancer and is scared. I want to tell them that will always be there for them, but now I'm just not so sure A public charge is a legal immigrant that the United States seems likely to be primarily dependent on the federal government for assistance and now they're proposing drastically expanding the definition people. Labeled in this way can be denied Green cards ripped apart from their families and deported the Asian woman with a new child. May not be able to put food on their table as they for food stamps and both may go hungry the Dominican elderly woman may not be able to afford her drugs through Medicare putting her at risk for broken spine or broken hip Boston itself there's an estimated 54000 immigrants who would now be required to pass the public charge test an estimated 20000 of which may fail and may lose their health care and then denied access to this institution of healing This is not who we are at brigham and this is not who we are, as Americans know to public charge. Today, brigham we stand up for our patients and we stand up for our coworkers noda public charge Today, brigham we reject this xenophobia. Human rights, abominations coming from some of our nation's leaders noted public charge Today, brigham we protect our patients by choose not by choosing the right medicines, not by mastering the right procedures, but by rejecting the proposals from our government. Specifically designed to injure those we're. Outbound protect noda public charge Immigrants should not have to choose between Green beans for the children and Green cards for their future. No to public charge Immigrants like my patients, you don't have to choose between seeking treatment for his deadly cancer on the one hand, or choosing to live in the country where he has always legally resided. Nota public charge Ultimately, the choice between immigration status and insulin is a false dichotomy created by our government to torment our nation's most vulnerable immigrants. No, the public charge Fortunately, the public charge rule is not yet law and we can stop it after this rally go to protect him. Protect immigrant families. Dot org and flood our government, with comments about why the public charge rule harms our patients. Our families and our coworkers immigrants should not have to, for fit their food, their shelter and there healthcare to pursue the American Dream so that's why we say no to public charge Thank you, doctor. Jacobs. Our next Speaker is Dr new Al, nor are chief diversity and inclusion officer for faculty trainees and students who leads both are ambulatory obstetrics practice and our African women's health Center. Doctor nor Good morning. I'm an obstetrician and gynecologist I'm also a surgeon committed to providing culturally and linguistically competent care to women from around the world. At the African women's health Center at brigham and women's hospital. I'm also a proud Sudanese American in recent history, the climate for immigrants has created a deep sense of insecurity in our patients as well as their employees. Last year's executive order restricting travel to the us from seven majority Muslim countries, including Sweden, where I come from, created confusion And anxiety amongst all of us now they're facing the public charge to have patients worry about their health or their immigration status goes against all that. We stand for because we're a teaching hospital we are charged with educating the next generation of health care providers and also we're charged to take care of our patients in a culturally competent manner with the travel ban or the public charge. We visibly see the distressing effects on our patients and for the doctor patient relationship itself Now, what now, what is the question that many of my patients have been asking me recently not now. What's wrong with me or now what should I be doing with my medication. It is now what what else is going to happen to us. I have a somali patient who's pregnant and her growing distrust in the American environment has seeped into a distrust of our health system. Her no show rate to her health providers is growing. Our usual 15 minute conversation has now evolved into about a 30 minute conversation of carefully listening counseling and reassuring her that we will be providing the best care that we can and that we will deliver her baby safely and trusting hands Here's, my real concern, if immigrant women lose confidence in us because of continuous actions taken by this government already well documented racial and ethnic disparities in care. Could be even further exacerbated. I believe this justifies a call to all providers to exercise even more care in avoiding avoiding bias and continuing to provide compassionate care to and demonstrate really understanding for our patient's understanding that they face daily messages from the media from the government from even being on a bus from trying to In to our institution and that message is that they do not belong here and that they are not welcome. We have worked so hard for so long to achieve the current level of cultural competent care. Here at brigham and women's hospital. We now must exercise an extra level of care and go that extra mile to assure them that our commitment is for them and for their families and that they do feel safe here and that they belong, regardless of how many generations stand between us and our immigrant forebears in this country in this country of immigrants were being To recommit to welcoming the stranger and compassionately providing for her medical needs to the very best of our ability and so I wanna ask you, as well, please send comments to protect immigrant families. Dot org and thank you for your time Thank you, doctor, nor for everything that you do for our patients and their families are so appreciative of your important work. So good news is Dr neighbor was able to join us and would like to say a few remarks and closing Dr neighbor. Please join us the President of brigham and women's hospital doctor betsy neighbor Good morning it's wonderful to see you all here today. I'm so thrilled that we're able to gather as a community as you know, uh we have a bit of a busy week with him. We have a joint Commission here so thank you, uh for your understanding and I'm glad that you all uh about started. I wanna thank all of you behind me. You look beautiful really wonderful More important than looking beautiful, I actually love your signs and what you have to say. Um and I wanna thank you for standing up for what you believe in uh and representing many employees Nations and Thank you very very much I know uh aaron had a chance to to make a few comments and I want to thank doctor jacobson Dr noor for their comments. As well. But I just wanted to emphasize a few things on behalf of our brigham uh community. Uh first of all, we have always believed that access to health care is a basic human right that's part of our value system, since these doors opened in 19 13 uh and they will always be our values, I simply want to reinforce that uh We also take pride and that we are an Organization that welcomes everyone and I want to underline and underscore everyone everyday, whoever comes through our doors. We will provide care for at the highest standards to the best of our ability and I think many of your positions and care provider standing behind me because I know that's what you do day in and day out and I thank you for that uh I also just want to um reiterate and mention that um as a physician who trained in this hospital, I understand the importance of caring for everyone all all of us and also as a citizen of this country. Uh it's also my own personal stance uh that we need to stand solidly behind any changes in this public charge rule, so Is uh you've heard uh our brigham community will continue to formally oppose the public charge rule for immigrant families. Our patients and our employees. Uh and, as doctor jacobs and doctor North suggested, uh, we ask you to publicly take a stand as well. Uh you are today by being here, but we ask you to continue that. Do that to make a difference so there are multiple ways in which you can get engaged go online and submit a comment to the Department of homeland security Uh, I worked in the federal government for 10 years and I learned that the squeaky wheel counts and works go on and spend not just one comment but many comments multiple times have your friends, your family, everybody. You know, submit them. It will make a difference, talk to your friends and colleagues educate them about this issue. I spent time yesterday with our Department chairs talking about this issue. Many of them weren't aware of it, so many of your colleagues here throughout the hospital uh hardware, please educate them as well um and I understand We have butterfly stickers to show our opposition to the public charge rule does anybody have a butterfly sticker on right now. Can I see one I haven't gotten mine yet oh alright. I need my butt oh yeah excellent alright. I need my butterfly sticker terrific so um. I I want you all to know that we will continue to oppose this rule were thrilled to see that our attorney general, it is prepared to file suit in opposition. I encourage you to take action uh and I really do value your being here And coming out for a cause, that's so incredibly important to our patients. Our family in our community. Thank you all very very much