Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
As The Daily Caller has reported, Representative Phil Roe, a Republican representing the Knoxville area of Tennessee, saved a man's life this morning in the Charlotte airport. Roe, an obstetrician before he became a congressman, was walking through the Charlotte terminal when someone yelled, "Is anybody here a doctor? There is a gentleman who just collapsed."
Roe's traveling companion, Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) noted:
He literally had just collapsed and Phil ran over there and I believe there was a nurse in the same area and Phil was on this guy [so fast]. I bet the guy wasn’t down probably 30 seconds before Phil was taking care of him. They gave him CPR for like 5 or 6 minutes. They pumped his chest pretty good. It was work, it was pretty intimidating to watch.
Also, as The Daily Caller reported:
Roe won’t take all the credit for saving the man’s life. “I really want to praise the police officers there and the EMTs,” he told TheDC, adding that he plans to write letters to their supervisors applauding their work. “They did a great job. I’m just glad I’m around and able to help. Whatever help I can give, I’m certainly happy to do so.”
Mulvaney, though, was complimentary:“This guy is alive because of Phil Roe and a couple other very important people at the airport.”
Another remarkable aspect of this story is that Roe considers himself a doctor first, and a congressman second. As The Daily Caller reported:
Roe was a practicing OB/GYN before running for public office a few years ago. He said being a doctor always trumps being a congressman, or anything else. Medical duties always come first.
“I graduated medical school 41 years ago,” Roe said. “After 41 years of private practice, you don’t just hang that up and walk away and become something else. I’m a doctor first and that’s the way I think always.”
I think I'm witnessing a couple of trends here. First, the M.D.'s in Congress seem more and more to be Republican. I don't know the current breakdown, but after the 2008 elections, out of fourteen total M.D.'s ten were Republican.
The other trend is for the doctor-congressmen, like Roe, to consider themselves doctors first and congressmen second. When Congressman Paul Broun, a Republican from Athens, Georgia wrote a blurb for my book, he had a similar attitude. For his title, he requested that I include "M.D." but he did not make a similar request about "Congressman."
I must say, I am pleased with both trends.
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Oct '10
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
Great story.
Dec '10
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
Meantime, have you folks taken a CPR class? Do you know how to work the defibrillators stationed all about?
Please do. Take basic First Aid and CPR and really help your fellow man.
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
Congrats to JammieWearingFool for some brilliant insight: "No small irony someone named Roe just saved a life."
Mar '11
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
It sounds like a good thing that doctors continue to be doctors after being elected to Congress.
What is the exact head count for lawyers? Is it a good thing if they continue to be lawyers?
Feb '11
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
Great story. Perhaps I should run for Congress! Of course, I'm in Waxman's district. I'm about as likely to win here as Prof. Groseclose!
May '10
Re: Congressman Phil Roe Saves a Man's Life in the Charlotte Airport
Just follows the great long-established tradition assiduously ignored by (Dem) Jim McDermott.
Back in the 1950's, Rep. Walter Judd (former medical missionary who was my own Congressman in Minneapolis) would take care of his medical patients during Congressional recesses at no charge.
Before Medicare and Medicaid, most physicians did more pro bono work than any attorney ever has. And it was actually worth something as well.