When I became a doctor, I prepared myself to spend my days caring for people at their best, worst and most mundane moments. As a practicing OB-GYN, I’ve spent my career caring for women at every stage of life. My patients remind me every day of the complexity of women’s reproductive health care — from childbirth to cancer diagnoses, and everything in between. While I bring my medical expertise to the exam room, I always strive to bring empathy and humanity as well.

Women’s reproductive health care is essential, and it goes far beyond pregnancy. I’ve dedicated myself to the care of my patients. I take those relationships very seriously. It is critical that my colleagues and I approach all patients with objectivity, respect for their autonomy and regard for the sensitive nature of discussions held in confidence. These principles echo the foundations of medical ethics which we learn early in our training. Unfortunately, Republican politicians have become obsessed with interfering in these relationships and in my patients’ private medical decisions

My colleagues and I care for and support pregnant Kansans with ever-changing and complex medical situations on a daily basis. Obstetrical care isn’t just about managing a medical condition. It’s about walking alongside our patients through one of the most personal experiences of their lives. As physicians, we routinely care for our patients and their families in their most vulnerable moments. These moments are often joyful, but they can also be scary or even devastating.