Founded in 1943, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a non-partisan association dedicated to preserving the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship and the practice of private medicine. We caught up with AAPS member Dr. Katarina Lindley to find out more about their work.
What inspired you to join the AAPS?
AAPS stands for patients and physicians. For me, the most sacred of all is the relationship between the physician and the patient. I truly feel that medicine is about the humanity, the mind, the spirit and the body, and I found that same approach with my colleagues in AAPS.
What are you working on at the moment?
The AAPS actively fighting mandates through Calls to Action to our members and general public. Our physicians participate in many live events and podcasts and keep the public informed of the current state of affairs. We met with legislators in Washington DC just a few weeks ago, specifically to discuss the vaccine mandates, OSHA requirements, federal and healthcare workers restrictions, child vaccines, and so on. We are also actively working with several groups in California and helping to fight child vaccination mandates for aged five and above, both in the public and private school system. There was a win in the LA county school district this week with a temporary stay for now. Every day, there is a new concern, but it is worth it and important to make sure that our voices and our patients’ voices are heard.
From a personal perspective, I am also working in my private practice with my patients and with many other groups including the World Council for Health, Global Covid Summit, The Unity Project, and my local School Board. All in all, just trying to contribute in a small way in making this world a better place for my children and others. There is always something we can do and together we can do it better.
Why is your work so important right now?
Many patients are unable to get access to life-saving early treatments or are at risk of losing their jobs due to mandates. They are searching for answers and sometimes they need an advocate or someone to listen and help them navigate this bureaucratic jungle. I get calls from all over the United States and sometimes from other countries—people just looking for answers. If I can help even one person, I know I am doing the right thing.
Where do you see the future of healthcare?
Healthcare is at a crossroads. We need to find a way to listen to what our patients need and are asking for. We need to take away the barriers, demand transparency and just plain listen. The patient is the consumer: their health and well-being should be our primary concern. Big Pharma and big tech companies, conflicts of interests are hurting medicine. Healthcare is an industry and medicine is an art. We need to decide, who do we serve? Big Pharma or our patients?
What inspires you to get out of bed each day and keep doing what you’re doing?
My faith, my children, my family, my friends, my patients. As Margaret Mead stated, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Learn more about the AAPS on their website and hear Katarina speak about the association in this clip from our general assembly meeting on December 6, 2021:
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