Crossing Paths with North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole

Crossing Paths with North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole

By Dave Thomas

Having served U.S. Presidents, the medical community and North Carolina residents as senator for the Tar Heel State, Sen. Elizabeth Dole has accumulated quite a resume over the years.

Dole has had a remarkable public service career, serving five U.S. presidents and winning 54 percent of the vote in November 2002 to serve the people of North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Dole left President Bush’s (41st) Cabinet in 1991 to become only the second woman since founder Clara Barton to serve as president of the American Red Cross, an organization larger than many in the Fortune 500. To demonstrate her appreciation for volunteers, the heart and soul of the American Red Cross, Dole volunteered her first year at the Red Cross, accepting no salary. During her tenure, 91 cents of every dollar spent went to programs and services.

Representing the American Red Cross internationally, Dole visited Kuwait following the Gulf War to assess Red Cross services provided to U.S. military personnel. In December 1992, she visited Red Cross relief operations in famine-stricken Somalia and Mozambique, as well as in war-torn Croatia. In August 1994, Dole led a humanitarian relief delegation to Rwandan refugee camps in the former Zaire.

In January 1999, Dole concluded her service at the Red Cross and sought the Republican presidential nomination. In her campaign for president of the United States, Dole became the first viable woman candidate from a major political party. She attracted thousands of first-time voters into the democratic process.

Dole recently sat down for an e-mail interview with Insurance Journal Southeast.

Insurance Journal: How can the medical malpractice issue in North Carolina and other states be solved and what is the Senate doing about it?

Sen. Dole: The medical malpractice issue needs to be addressed through meaningful reform. Unfortunately, attempts at reforming the system have been blocked in the U.S. Senate, including addressing specific areas such as OBGYN and Emergency Room care. Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) believes very strongly in the need for reform and we plan to keep addressing this issue until it gets resolved.

IJ: Are you concerned that businesses will leave North Carolina when faced with high medical malpractice claims and workers’ compensation issues?

Dole: Certainly there is a concern about businesses and doctors leaving the state. I often point to a doctor in Sparta, N.C. who had to stop delivering babies altogether after facing a 300 percent increase in her malpractice premiums. Now there is only one obstetrician in town capable of handling high-risk cases, forcing some women who need C-sections to endure a 40-minute ambulance ride to another hospital. And then there is Dr. John Schmitt from Raleigh. He’s an OB-GYN who left his practice after seeing his insurance premiums triple from $17,000 to $46,000 a year. He decided instead to join the medical school faculty at the University of Virginia.

IJ: How did your work with the American Red Cross help you in better understanding challenges faced by North Carolina residents when they are impacted by storms and other catastrophes?

Dole: First and foremost, I learned the importance of being responsive. It is so important to get down to the disaster area and see firsthand what has occurred and what needs to be done. North Carolina was hit hard by Hurricane Isabel last year and I was able to be on the ground in some of the most hard-hit areas immediately. What I witnessed were families forced to swim from their homes and communities ravaged by flooding. It was crucial to facilitate coordination between the state and FEMA so resources could get to where they were needed most in an expedited manner.

Secondly, follow up is very important in ensuring that needs are being addressed and expectations are being met. Some of my constituents were having problems with the National Flood Insurance Program, so it was important to get some field meetings scheduled to hash out some concerns about the claims process.

IJ: What do you see as the major challenges facing businesses in North Carolina and nationwide, and have the Senate and President Bush addressed them?

Dole: It took Vice President Cheney to cast the tie-breaking vote to get tax relief—but we managed to get it done. The tax relief passed as a part of the President’s Jobs and Growth Package has played a major role in the economic recovery. Over 1.1 million jobs have been added since August, with 8 consecutive months of gains. The nation’s unemployment rate is 5.6 percent—below the average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Economic growth over the last three quarters has been the fastest in nearly 20 years. American companies are reporting record productivity—with growth between 2000 and 2003 at the fastest three-year rate in more than 50 years. This has bolstered profits and will lead to significantly higher real wages for workers.

IJ: Talk a little about your work with a number of U.S. presidents.

Dole: Whether it was working for President Bush at Labor or President Reagan at Transportation, I found that I enjoyed taking on some of the toughest issues—issues where I thought real differences could be made. Getting seat belts and airbags in cars while at Transportation or helping to settle a bitter coal strike while at Labor provided me with some of the most challenging, although some of the most rewarding, issues that I have addressed in my career.

IJ: How do you see the 2004 presidential election playing out?

Dole: I think Americans will re-elect the President because he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to finishing the job in the War on Terror, and keeping America safe and terrorists in jail. The President’s tax relief has put more money back into the pockets of hard working Americans, fueled the economic recovery and allowed consistent growth and productivity. It will be a close election, but a majority of Americans will reward the consistent leadership the President has demonstrated.

I think Republicans will make gains in the House and Senate. I plan on campaigning so we can build our numbers in the U. S. Senate to stop the obstruction so issues can be addressed and meaningful legislation passed.

To learn more about Sen. Dole, visit www.dole.senate.gov/