Article archive / September 2018
Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 9. Source pages: 7.
Dr. Tammy Savoie, licensed psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, is running in the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana for U.S. Representative and going straight up against the well-funded, incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise.
Savoie is not shying away from the challenge at all, but facing into the effort with a positive and upbeat local campaign. She has been called the most viable candidate to challenge Scalise––a view that could be related to her long list of credentials and achievements.
Savoie is psychologist with a doctoral degree from Emory and an MBA, and has served 38 years in the military including the Air National Guard and Air Force. She has served in the U.S., Japan, Afghanistan, and the U.K.
In 2016, she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and now provides mental health services to veterans and the Red Cross, and is an adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Xavier.
We were lucky enough to slow her down for a few questions.
Q – Psychology Times: What do you plan on when you get to Washington regarding the group dynamics and polarization between the parties and in the country?
A – Dr. Savoie: I plan on working with all members of Congress to bring everyone together to solve issues. We must use problem solving techniques that we’ve all learned: identify the problem, identify the achievable outcome and then forge a path to that outcome. Work for consensus. These are all things my professional education and training have made me well versed in, and when combined with my 38 years of service to my country in uniform I believe I am uniquely qualified to bring to Congress. We must do this together: democrats and republicans; rich and poor; public and private; and academia and industry. When we all put our energy and efforts into solving problems, there really is no stopping the United States of America. I think there has been no better time to send a psychologist to Congress.
Q – Psychology Times: What are some of your ideas for approaching the problems (quality, costs, availability) in the health care system? What of your background as a psychologist might you rely on?
A – Dr. Savoie: Besides fixing and protecting the Affordable Care Act and providing a public option for individuals, we need to target populations that demonstrate specific health issues that can be addressed through prevention or targeted therapies. Population health strategies reduce costs and help communities that suffer from illnesses due to genetic, environmental, or social factors.
A – Dr. Savoie: As a psychologist, I believe in data! We have population health data that will help us target those in need to reduce the health care burden on all of us. I also understand the role of stress in every mental and physical health problem. When government policies provide needed resources for citizens, thereby reducing chronic stress, both mental and physical health outcomes improve, and the quality of life is heightened.
Q – Psychology Times: What about veterans’ care?
A – Dr. Savoie: As a veteran and a provider, I am committed to healthcare for our veterans. I believe the integrity of our VA Hospitals and clinics must be maintained. When I was working at the Pentagon on the Joint Staff with our coalition allies on health care policies, they all had what we called, “VA envy.” They envied the system the United States had in place to take care of its veterans, i.e., clinics and hospitals where the unique needs of service personnel can be addressed, studied and remedied. We must not dismantle this system.
A – Dr. Savoie: The Veterans Administration is the largest health care system in the United States. As a veteran myself, I appreciate the fact that the department has more than 300,000 employees serving more than 9 million veterans at 1,240 treatment facilities. The VA serves Veterans from WWII, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam and the Gulf War Era. The diversity of these cohorts cannot be underestimated; however, they all have one thing in common and that is their service to our country and the sacrifices they made.
There has been much media hype about the inadequacy of VA hospitals. However, the data just does not bear this out. The VA generally delivers care that is better or equal in quality to other health care systems. We must not allow the disintegration of the largest healthcare system in the country and the only one devoted to our Veterans for the sake of profit and privatization.
Q – Psychology Times: What are your thoughts on the wars, terrorism, and threats from other countries?
A – Dr. Savoie: As a veteran of 38 years in uniform, I know we must do everything we can to avoid war and to that end we must remain strong both militarily and diplomatically. We must show leadership which is currently sorely lacking in our country. My hope is that the people of this country will vote in November for a change in leadership that we so desperately need. The current administration has depleted our diplomatic corps to the bone. We must restore the State Department to its full strength and engage the world through diplomacy and leadership. The relationships and institutions that the United States has built since the end of WWII have been denigrated and decimated; this is a travesty. One of the greatest honors of my military career was representing the United States overseas to our NATO and coalition partners. It saddens me to see this administration and Congressional sycophants destroy precious relationships. The people of the United States must not let this stand. We all must demonstrate the support we have for our allies and let them know that we still stand shoulder to shoulder with them against the threats looming large over the world.
Q – Psychology Times: Anything else?
A – Dr. Savoie: Every experience in my life has led me to this moment. My graduate and postgraduate training in psychology were demanding and thankfully so. I know how to think critically, to question, and then to develop solutions. I have used this training throughout my military career and I hope to bring that training to bear upon a Congress that has lost its way. I spent 38 years fighting for my country in uniform, and now I look forward to fighting for my country and my community as our next member of Congress.
To learn more about Dr. Savoie visit her website at https://www.tammysavoie.com/
Psychologist and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Tammy Savoie, is running for Congress in the 1st District. Here, in 2006, she receives the Arthur S. Flemming Award for program management, from George Washington University. (Courtesy photo.)
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