Doctor Ralph Northam now has a new title, Governor Ralph Northam. In his inaugural speech, he talked about the lessons he learned from his parents on the Eastern Shore as well as his time as a pediatric neurologist.
One particular patient made an impression, he says, one he told he couldn’t do much for. Northam says he ran into the patient’s mother years later.
“She looked me in the eye and said Doctor Northam, when you said you couldn’t help us you took away our hope,” recalled Northam during his inaugural address. “I can still hear her words today.”
Northam says that he wants to bring hope to Virginia by restricting access to firearms, protecting a woman’s right to chose and expanding Medicaid to 400,000 people who currently live in poverty or with disabilities.
“We’re going in the wrong direction on health care in Virginia and in America. More people need coverage, not less," he said.
Among the inaugural parade were staff and patients from the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, where Northam provided care for 25 years.
Sitting in the crowd were some of Northam’s colleagues. Fellow pediatrician Candice Gabriel was excited to support him, and thinks he’s a perfect fit for his new job.
“He has always been kind, very caring toward his patients as well as the residents and the medical students. Bright, and easy to work with,” said Gabriel.
Northam is also a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. The state capitol was swarming with the gray-coated cadets, saluting their new commander in chief.
In his first official act as Governor Northam jokingly pardoned any cadets facing punishment for small mess-ups, like wearing their uniforms incorrectly.
Then he came inside from the freezing cold to sign his first executive order, banning discrimination in state government.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
