As a general rule I avoid politics. My first job out of undergrad was working as a Legislative Assistant for a Congressman in Wahsington D.C. My first day on the job, the Monica Lewinsky scndal broke and the issue I covered for the Congressman was “executive branch activities”. A total nightmare.
Yesterday was the first time I registered with a political party (previously I was the registered as an ever-mysterious NE – non-enrolled.) However, given the importance of the upcoming presidential primaries, I felt I had to be a part of that. I finally had to stand for something in politics. I believe we are about to witness possibly the greatest turning point the executive branch of this nation has ever seen.
It is with this new found spirit of activism that I went to see the movie Sicko, Michael Moore’s latest creation. I’ve never seen one of his films, largely because they are so political in nature. This one was not partisan – it was raising the alarm on what’s happening in our nation’s health care system. And it’s frightening. It would be comical if it weren’t so true and so sad. Moore made me laugh, and then he made me think. Why does nearly every other developed nation, and many not so developed, have better health care than we do? Why do prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, many of them known terrorists, have better health care than most working class people in this country? Cuba itself has a better system than we do? Given our abundant wealth, how is that possible?
I won’t give away parts of the movie because I hope everyone who reads this blog will see the film. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in health or health care, please see the film. Because I just graduated from business school, I am obsessed with efficiency and incentive structures. We’ve got it all wrong here in the U.S. We reward insurance companies, hospital, and even doctors themselves to provide as little care as possible in order to take costs out of the system. For all the talk about a “paperless” office, there are more and more forms every day that we must fill out in order to receive even mediocre care.
Moore sounds the alarm with humor and solid research. And I hope it’s an alarm that will be heard ’round the country by the people who can make a difference.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 