Congressman Gregory F. Murphy, MD, presented “Role of Legislation in Innovation and Inequality in Medicine” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in July 2022.
How to cite: Murphy, Gregory F. “Role of Legislation in Innovation and Inequality in Medicine.” July 2022. Accessed Dec 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/role-of-legislation-in-innovation-and-inequality-in-medicine/
Role of Legislation in Innovation and Inequality in Medicine
Congressman Gregory F. Murphy, MD, a practicing urologist and the Representative from North Carolina’s 3rd District, speaks with E. David Crawford, MD, concerning the federal approval process for new medical treatments and racial inequality in medicine. The two note that prior to the Covid-19 vaccine it could take a long time to get a treatment approved, and that the Covid-19 vaccine set a new precedent for timelines where medical treatments can reach the general population. Next, Rep. Murphy discusses racial inequity in medicine, specifically how he believes medicine has become an instrument for politics. He states that the focus should be on patients getting the treatment they need, as well as allowing an open opportunity for qualified candidates to get into medical school and enter the profession. Rep. Murphy also discusses his belief that public faith in medicine has plummeted since the Covid-19 pandemic. Rep. Murphy continues by stating that due to the tragedy of the Tuskegee vaccine issues, the black community has a lot of reluctance getting vaccines. Both agree that it is important to remove politics from medicine and for politicians to work on issues in medicine in a bipartisan manner.
For more on legislation affecting the medical field from GRU, check out Congressman Greg Murphy, MD, on the Urologist Shortage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Originally from Raleigh, Congressman Greg Murphy graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College in 1985. He attended UNC School of Medicine graduating with Honors. After completing his residency in Urology and Renal Transplantation at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, he and his wife, Wendy, settled in Greenville, NC to begin his practice. Dr. Murphy has been the President of Eastern Urological Associates in Greenville, an Affiliate Professor and Chief of the Division of Urology at the ECU School of Medicine, Davidson College’s Alumni President and served on Davidson’s Board of Trustees. Outside of work, he has traveled extensively for the last 35 years as a Medical Missionary, including to India, several parts of Africa, Nicaragua, and Haiti.
Dr. Murphy’s professional career has been primarily one of clinical practice and administrative leadership positions. His surgical practice site is Vidant Medical Center, which serves 29 eastern NC counties. He served for three years as Chief of Staff of the Medical Center.
As a newcomer to politics, Dr. Murphy served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. During his second term in the General Assembly, he served as Senior Chair of Health Policy and Chair of Health and Human Services Appropriations. Dr. Murphy was the Primary Sponsor of both the STOP Act and the HOPE Act, North Carolina’s two main legislative actions to combat the Opioid Crisis. He led efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the state’s Medicaid system which saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars during his tenure.
Dr. Murphy was sworn in to the U.S. Representatives in September 2019, replacing the late Congressman Walter B Jones, Jr. He serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor as well as the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
