Lauren Underwood, 32, has been blazing trails in her profession by not only dedicating her career to establishing policies that would allow everyone to enjoy affordable, high-quality healthcare, but also by managing to secure a spot in Congress.

Underwood is a registered nurse who obtained her BSN from the University of Michigan, as well as her MSN/MPH from the Johns Hopkins University. Ever since graduating, she has been dedicating her efforts to work as a nurse policymaker and has made significant strides as a health policy advisor, research fellow, senior director, and research nurse at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. She was at her most influential and felt most at home with her career when working as a health policy advisor at the Office of the Secretary at the Health and Human Services in Washington, DC. This position allowed her to work under Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and later under the leadership of Sylvia Burwell, to drive several reforms on private insurance, in the summary of insurance benefits, in the quality of care dispensed through the Medicare program, and many other important healthcare policies.

However, all of her exploits as a policy adviser were only a warm up for what would be her biggest challenge yet: a spot as a member of Congress.

Underwood formally began her foray into the world of nursing politics in 2017, when she discovered that Randy Hultgren, her political rival at the time, was working to repeal several portions of Obamacare that provided aid to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. For Underwood, this was more than just a move that went against her position and beliefs as a politician. As one of the 300,000 individuals with a pre-existing condition that relies on Obamacare to receive medical aid, her very own way of life was threatened by Hultgren’s advances; she had no choice but to fight for her health and for others.

Her run into Congress revolved around several issues, mostly related to government funding for certain important areas, and included aspects such as:

• Reducing gun violence through universal background checks and limited gun sales
• Increased federal funding for higher education
• Allowing DACA recipients a path to citizenship
• Expanded investment in renewable energy projects and more funding for the EPA, as well as a focus on climate change
• Full access to abortion

Since then, she won her race and was sworn into Congress, in a move that was recognized by both parties as a positive moment that laid the foundation for a more inclusive future, regardless of party, race, gender, or any other factors. Furthermore, as a nurse, she is qualified to give valuable insight into healthcare, including tackling the ongoing opioid crisis, working on promoting fair drug prices, and helping to ensure that every American has access to the treatment that they need to combat their illnesses and conditions. Underwood said in an interview with Minority Nurse, “I believe there is a lot of value in having a nurse at the negotiation tables when we are making these decisions and passing policies that will transform our health care system. I am excited about the opportunity to be a leading voice on Capitol Hill on these important issues,” said Underwood.

For Lauren, she believes that one of the most important issues with healthcare currently is affordability. Specifically, she believes that government funding is imperative for any healthcare program—or any other type of program, period—to succeed. In healthcare, Underwood notes that most families have to pay high premiums to get access to healthcare, most of which are unaffordable for most families. She states that the reason behind this is that some companies intentionally sabotage the Affordable Care Act and “trick the system,” allowing them to charge the said premiums. Nevertheless, this is not the way that the program was designed, and she says that it’s only a matter of making a few technical adjustments to make the program more affordable for both the consumers, as well as on the federal budget.

“We can do things like negotiate drug prices, it can be done, we need to take a strong position on this opioid drug addiction crisis. We need to implement reforms like how we pay for rehab and how we award funds to municipalities in order to create a pathway for lasting change. And then there are opportunities to expand coverage so we will have fewer uninsured Americans,” said Underwood.

Furthermore, the young congresswoman believes that she should not work solely in favor of the patient or consumer. As a nurse, she has a responsibility toward her colleagues to advocate for their rights, especially when it comes to their higher education. Lauren says that, while education costs are steadily on the rise, government funding in these areas have only received minimal increases that are not feasible in the long run. Furthermore, private higher education is not the only area affected, as some states have even reduced funding for public institutions, which puts these career choices out of the reach of many candidates. Meanwhile, those candidates that do manage to secure a spot in school are stuck with exorbitant debts after finishing their studies.

Underwood stated to Minority Nurse, “The economics of it makes it tough. Because we are talking about middle-class folks who are not able to take on that debt. And when it is becoming increasingly attractive to become an APRN, that is all debt to be able to get the master’s to become a nurse practitioner or a nurse midwife. We are going to need some serious advocacy and a plan to deal with the cost of our education.”