Working Toward Greater Public Service: An Interview With Rep. Brad Wenstrup, DPM

When people think of the average member of Congress, they paint an individual whose calculus has been geared throughout his or her life for the ultimate pursuit of a career in Washington. They think of an individual who has been walking the party line since the day he or she could tell the proverbial elephant apart from the proverbial donkey. That pigeonhole through which society views career politicians has maintained Congress’s approval ratings at the lowest among other professionals.¹

“I miss my 99 percent approval rating,” joked Rep. Brad Wenstrup, DPM, whose story defies the orthodoxy of a journey to Washington. It is a journey filled with volunteerism and a profound commitment to service guided by the belief that public prosperity eclipses political affiliation. In the current divisive political climate, the Ohio Republican has been among the most outspoken unifiers, concluding a piece he recently published by invoking the famous words: “United we stand. Divided we fall.”²

I asked the congressman about this. Referring to what he calls a “lack of civility” that is visible so often, he said: “It’s become the norm and acceptable. We should be celebrating the fact that we’re the freest nation in the world. We’re supposed to debate. God and country. Party is down the line.”

For some folks around the country, June 14 was the first time they heard of Rep. Wenstrup, after he made headlines for bravely coming to the aid of Rep. Steve Scalise, who had suffered an injury to the hip during a tragic shooting during a congressional baseball game practice in Alexandria, Va. But for those familiar with his work ethic, service and experience, Dr. Wenstrup offers a remedy for the growing resentment at Capitol Hill, and a source of inspiration for the podiatric medical community, which represents a humble-sized, autonomous subdivision of medicine across America.

Elected to Congress in 2012 to represent the second district of Ohio, Rep. Wenstrup’s legacy is still being written. But the path that led him to D.C. in itself is fascinating and affords a breath of fresh air for folks with an appreciation for passion in leadership. As a pre-medical student in Michigan, Dr. Wenstrup worked every summer gaining experience in the medical field and eventually came to learn a lot about podiatry. As I interviewed him on a Saturday morning during what was a hectic week on Capitol Hill consumed by debate over the American Health Care Act, he recalled the irony of being sold on podiatric medicine after coming across an article predicting that by the ‘90s there would be an excess of all physician specialists except podiatrists. Today, as one of the 16 members of the GOP Doctors Caucus, Rep. Wenstrup is at the forefront of addressing what the Association of American Medical Colleges describes as a potential shortage of 104,000 physicians by 2030.³  

After graduating from the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in ‘85, Dr. Wenstrup completed a residency at Thorek Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He describes the surgical component of podiatry as being one of his favorite parts. While Dr. Wenstrup said obtaining a history and physical can be tedious, he recalls enjoying this when he did it for everyone who walked through his door during residency training. On that note, I asked about the path to parity for podiatrists and what members of the profession, especially students and young physicians, can do to have an impact. He emphasized the importance of getting involved with your political action committee, state medical boards and remarked that “having advocates on the Hill right now is very important because we have some ways to go.”

Congressman Wenstrup serves as Chair of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health and in February introduced the VA Provider Equity Act (HR 1058) with bipartisan support. This act proposes legislation that would recognize DPMs as physicians within the Veterans Health Administration system. In addition to progress within the VA, Rep. Wenstrup mentions that podiatry is making some gains on the military side as well, where he serves as a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, offering firsthand insight as a colonel in the United States Army Reserve.

Beyond Rep. Wenstrup’s meritorious titles are the details of an inspiring adventure. After residency, a motivated Dr. Wenstrup ran a successful medical practice for over 27 years, only interrupted by his unceasing desire to learn and serve, making the decision to join the Army Reserve as an officer in 1998 at the age of 39, and later serving a tour in Iraq in 2005. His tour of duty had a tremendous impact on him, saying in an interview with the University of Cincinnati Magazine that he was inspired by the Iraqi people’s plight, and that when once asked by his sister Amy if he needed anything, he told her: "I wear the same clothes every day, we're fed, and most days, I'm not leaving the base. But the people here have nothing. They were under an oppressed regime and have had nothing for so long."⁴

In the magazine’s piece titled “‘Hero and Healer,” Rep. Wenstrup highlights how rewarding it was to hand out toys to Iraqi children and the everlasting effects of hearing the words “Shukran, doctor, shukran,” the Arabic word for “thank you.”⁴ This commitment to service, coupled with experiences that spanned from healthcare and business to military and defense led him to giving over 100 talks with civics groups in the Cincinnati area upon his return. At the time, it had occurred to him that the legislators making business, military and healthcare decisions have never run a business, served or seen a patient. That was what inspired him to share his perspective.

Dr. Wenstrup’s message resonated loudly with the people of Cincinnati, and he had not considered running for anything up to this point until “people kept saying ‘You got to run for office,’” he explained.

By the time he had decided to run for Congress, Dr. Wenstrup had acquired an impressive and rare variety of experiences that included medicine and health, both in the private sector and at the municipal, military and potential congressional levels.

Given the trajectory of Dr. Wenstrup’s journey coupled with his natural finesse along the way, I had to ask whether he was considering running for anything in the future. He said he had “nothing in mind,” elaborating on how busy he has been between the three committees he serves on, including the intelligence Committee, which is tackling crucial matters such as national and global security.

Wrapping up the interview, I asked what he recommended to students who are interested in public service.

“Soak up everything. Seek every opportunity,” he said.

As I thanked him for his time, I asked if there was anything else he wanted to share.

“Yes,” he said. “Tell the students: We’re counting on you. You’re the future.”

Follow the author on Twitter at @RamiBasatneh .

References

1. Honesty/ethics in professions. Gallup. Available at https://www.gallup.com/poll/1654/honesty-ethics-professions.aspx .

2. Wenstrup B. United we stand—divided we fall. Available at https://wenstrup.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399871

 . Published June 9, 2017.

3. American Association of Medical Colleges. The American doctor shortage. Available at https://www.thedoctorshortage.com/pages/shortage .

4. Hughes A. Hero and healer. University of Cincinnati Magazine. Available at https://magazine.uc.edu/issues/0509/hero.html .