93: Rep. Raul Ruiz on going from the emergency room to Congress

Before he joined Congress, Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Democrat from California, worked in another chaotic environment: the emergency department. Today, he says, he tries to bring his background in medicine and public health to policymaking. In particular, he has turned his attention to a shortage of infectious disease physicians that threatens U.S. preparedness for the next pandemic. Our conversation was based on his recent First Opinion essay, “The infectious disease doctor shortage threatens future pandemic preparedness.” Don’t forget to sign up for the First Opinion newsletter to read each week’s best First Opinion essays.