Building a healthy America

by Lorna Johnson, contributor - 10/06/16 12:10 PM ET

As an entrepreneur in the healthcare and real estate fields, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges and triumphs in building a healthy and prosperous business. To create a millionaire business model, there are two important ingredients that parallel building a healthy nation.

Passionate consistency

{mosads}When I began my medical studies, my passion was to help young people and make a difference in the lives of the under-served. This desire lead me to become a Certified Professional Midwife and ultimately open Advanced Family Care Medical Group, an inner city medical clinic providing high-quality healthcare services in under-served communities. With constant care, compassion and love for the work and my patients, my passion melded into every element of the business.

The patients and staff reciprocated the energy and helped me sustain through challenges and succeed at running a successful enterprise. For every barrier and struggle that was presented, I consistently pushed through with passion and vigor. Even when healthcare reform opened more options for my community of patients, and my business began to downsize, I pushed through finding ways to reinvent and reclaim my passion.

My passion didn’t wane when the going got tough, it just made me get tougher and deepen my service to advocate for healthy options on a broader spectrum. I tapped into a healthy community through real estate development and participating on committees to expand healthcare options further.

To build a healthy America our leader must be passionately consistent about fueling the country with healthy energy and viable options that are not just good for the leader, but for the whole of America. The passion must come from a burning desire that resides within, not a whimsical spark trying to create a flame.

Hillary Clinton has displayed her passion for service since her early years. As she has served others, advocated for families and children, fought for civil rights and put others first, her consistent passion towards building a healthier nation is evident. This passion is also reflective of her compassion for each individual and this nation as a collective whole. Clinton is clear that we can build America stronger, together.

Resourceful perseverance

I cannot count the number of times I’ve been told “no” or had an obstacle placed in a path that I chose to walk. This negativity was present for me three-fold as a person of color, an immigrant and as a woman. It was never so apparent to me as when working in the healthcare industry and trying to build my business.

As a midwife, I was criticized by nurses and doctors and ostracized from being a part of their circle. Regardless of the “no’s” I received, I was determined to get my personal “yes” and broke through barriers and went around obstacles. I knew how to make the most of what I had and navigate through the system to obtain greater resources. I learned to count my “no’s” as a pathway to my “yes.”

In order to continue building a healthy and resilient America, we must connect resources to create new opportunities. Our leader in this effort must bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to current issues and be ready to fight the good fight and persevere. When confronted with opposition, the leader must be open-minded, secure and steadfast. Clinton has a proven track record of resourceful perseverance. She has withstood every storm that’s come her way and resiliently pushed through.

When confronted with the choice of America’s leadership, I am compelled to consider my expertise as a successful entrepreneur. Understanding what it takes to really make a family, a business or an America truly great, we must commit to the leader with an unwavering and consistent passion who can persevere with resourcefulness and heart. That leader is Clinton.

Lorna Johnson MSN, MN, NP is a nurse and midwife; she is the founder of the largest midwife clinic in Los Angeles. Johnson also serves as a surrogate for Hillary Clinton.

The views expressed by Contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

Tags Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton