Our health care system is in a state of crisis, and it is going to take leadership and vision to fix it. Nearly 6.8 million Californians -- including almost 1 million children -- do not have access to quality health care. I believe that California must do better for its children, parents, nurses, doctors, business owners, workers and seniors.

On Santa Clara Council, I put the focus on prevention by co-founding the Nutritional, Physical Education & Wellness Committee to implement wellness education programs in our schools and community.

As your Assembly Member, I will fight to ensure that every child in our state has access to quality, affordable health care -- and that every individual has access to basic and preventive care.  This access will reduce the strain on emergency rooms and save us, the tax-payers, money.

Additionally, I will make sure patient care will be a priority.  I will make sure insurance companies will not drop patients who need care for a pre-existing condition. I will fight to ensure nurse-to-patient ratios are maintained in our hospitals, and I will advocate for the inclusion of oral health education and expanded oral health access in our state's health care policies.

Medical professionals should drive health policy, not insurance profits. I will work to streamline the bureaucracy in our health care system, encouraging health care companies to digitize their records and making public health care easy to access. In Sacramento, I am committed to bringing people together to find a comprehensive solution to this crisis. 

* Affiliation listed for identification purposes only.