Access in Healthcare: What We Can Do When It Feels Out of Reach
“Stay in your lane, Stephanie.”
“You’re a nutrition specialist - why do you have to be so political?”
“You should watch what you say, you might make someone mad …”.
(Actually, I’m a GenX woman — that last one could be the unofficial motto of my life!)
As I’m writing this in the fall of 2025 (aka ‘autumn’, but ‘fall’ seems a much more appropriate term these days), environmental protections have been dismantled, agencies meant to inform and protect the public have been defunded, new threats to voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive rights are everyday occurrences, people are being disappeared by armed and masked thugs, and structural discrimination - now endorsed by the US Supreme Court, by the way - is basically unchecked.
Oh, but wait - I’m supposed to stay in my lane? Ok — let’s talk food and nutrition!
The Big Bloated Bill has slashed nutrition assistance to those who need it most, cutting SNAP benefits, which provides food aid to 40 million people (primarily children and seniors) while heavily subsidizing commodity farmers (aka protecting Big Ag). Not to mention that We The People are paying for you-know-who’s weaponized tariffs as grocery prices continue to rise, a burden which will only worsen as cruel and inhumane deportation tactics result in labor shortages in the agricultural sector.
Because I work in healthcare, it matters to me that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been gutted, significant defunding of scientific research is underway, and blatant disinformation about vaccines and other established medications is everywhere. And as higher education faces new funding threats — with support increasingly tied to political allegiance — access to evidence-based research and independent scholarship may become even more limited. Even if everything were to somehow, magically, go back to the way things were before the current administration began its reign, medical and scholarly innovation has been set back for decades. Decades!
Women’s bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom are still under threat here, too. My focus is on women’s hormone health, so I can’t not speak up. The truth is, policies about women’s bodies are being written by people who will never experience what it means to live in one. Women must have access to every form of care — procedures, medications, and knowledgeable professionals — that allows them to make informed, personal choices about their own lives. Healthcare should be compassionate, not criminalized.
When autonomy is stripped away, it’s not just reproductive freedom that suffers, it’s overall well-being. We’re seeing a system where access shrinks, care costs soar, and health outcomes decline. The result? A nation growing sicker while drowning in medical debt. Spoiler: This affects all of us, no matter our “lane”.
So yes, I do have to be “so political”. Access to food and healthcare - basic human rights - IS political.
This isn’t just about doctor’s offices or insurance cards anymore. It’s about navigating systems that no longer come with roadmaps. And lately, for a lot of folks, it feels harder than ever.
So what do we do when care feels out of reach? When the food budget doesn’t stretch to the next paycheck? When waiting rooms take months to get into?
Let’s talk about what we can do — right here, right now.
1. Start with What’s in Your Control
You can’t change the system overnight, but you can start by paying attention to what your body’s trying to tell you. It’s always sending messages; we’ve just gotten used to ignoring them until they start to get real loud.
Even better - document everything you can!
• Maybe that means noticing (and writing down) how caffeine affects your mood, your gut, your sleep, and choosing to switch to herbal tea instead of automatically reaching for that second (or 5th) cup of coffee.
• Maybe it’s pulling out a journal to track your menstrual symptoms, especially if you’re feeling like things are a little “off”.
• Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to rest instead of powering through yet-another high-intensity workout in a stressful week.
Self-awareness isn’t a replacement for medical care, but — along with finding a provider who actually listens to your story — it’s the foundation of it.
2. Create Small Rituals of Care
Everyday, I hear from my clients some version of “I am so exhausted by the events of the world”. In this climate — where everything costs more and feels heavier — health doesn’t have to mean complicated routines.
Try this instead:
• A five-minute stretch before your shower.
• A short walk after lunch.
• A real meal, not just snacks between emails.
• Breathing. Deeply. Before bed, before a meeting, before reacting.
These aren’t wellness trends — they’re quiet acts of rebellion in a system that often asks us to rush, ignore, and endure.
3. Tap Into Community Resources
Like the song says, “You gotta have heart” — and that heart beats strongest in community. From farmers markets to neighborhood wellness fairs to free screenings at local clinics, resources do exist — even if they take a little digging to find.
If you can, talk to local pharmacists, nurses, librarians, and of course, nutritionists. Many know about programs or affordable care options that aren’t widely advertised. Sometimes, the best help starts with one conversation.
Especially in these times, we are going to need each other!
4. Remember: Maintenance Is Power
Maintaining your health isn’t about perfection. It’s about gentle consistency — doing the small things that keep you steady through the chaos.
• Protect your sleep.
• Move your body.
• Eat a green vegetable.
• Step outside for some air and sunshine.
• Laugh (or cry, if you need to).
Health doesn’t just happen at your doctor’s appointment — it’s also how kindly you treat yourself between appointments.
We can’t fix the system on our own, but we can protect our peace while we navigate it. We can listen more deeply, move more slowly, and make choices that honor the bodies carrying us through this world.
True care begins not only with access, but with awareness.
About The Author
Stephanie Thompson is a New Orleans-based functional nutrition specialist who specializes in helping people alleviate frustrating (often mysterious) health symptoms with dietary guidance, targeted nutrients, and lifestyle modifications. She digs deep into the biochemical pathways and interconnected organ systems to find the root causes of her clients' issues for specific and sustainable relief!
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