iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

ACOG District II @acogd2.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Congrats @drflink.bsky.social, on receiving the 2026 Outstanding District Service Award at #ACOG2026! She is a truly outstanding ACOG DII leader. Her commitment to & passion for advocating for policies that promote health equity & advance the practice of ob-gyn is remarkable.

001

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

ACOG District II @acogd2.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Yesterday, ACOG District II Legislative Chair, @drflink.bsky.social, was invited to speak to the NYS Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus. She spoke about ways to ensure continued and expanded abortion access in New York.

011

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

“The keenest observation in Mountainhead is that all of these men pose the same threat, which is that as the world changes rapidly and their power expands exponentially, they never learn anything. They can't.”

npr.org

'Mountainhead' skewers the tech elite — and it's very satisfying

Four super-rich tech leaders gather for a poker weekend in a mountain mansion while AI technology leads to global chaos in the new HBO film from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong.

010

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

mankrik's wife guy @byelacey.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

the average canadian can also go to the hospital without starting a gofundme campaign

thehub.ca

The typical Canadian pays 70 percent more income tax than the typical American

1364314834

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Surprising myself to be quoting Reagan, but what an evolution: “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people—our strength—from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation…

111

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 15/04/2025

As someone who got to know a LOT of so-called conservative legal intellectuals, there are a bunch of people who claimed that they were just against tyranny and big government who are extremely silent in the moment.

151365226

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

ACOG District II @acogd2.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

We are so proud of our NYS ob-gyns who attended the #clc2025 in Washington, D.C.! They advocated for polices that improve the lives of all people seeking obstetric and gynecologic care, their families, and communities. Great work #TurningPurposeIntoPolicy! @acog-org.bsky.social

032

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

At least the tantrums are preventing Canadians from following in our stupid footsteps… 😩

130

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Claudia Koerner @claudiakoerner.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

can't believe it's 2025 and i'm stressed about tariffs and measles, like am i a character in an american girl book

317422318472

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

I am not going to call this a Bluetorial, because I do not want to sully that term (which, at least I, find joyful). Let’s call it a Orwellial.

media.tenor.com

a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card

ALT: a cartoon of homer simpson holding a card

13544235

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

How could that Trump voter have believed electing him would make IVF free? She must've been into fringey alternative media, maybe saw it from some influencer, professional media outlets would never oh no.

New York Times headline "Trump Called for I.V.F. to Be Free, How Would That Work?" August 30, 2024.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/30/health/trump-free-ivf-treatment.html

CNN headline "Trump proposes making government or insurance companies pay for IVF treatments." August 29, 2024.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/politics/trump-ivf-treatment-proposal/index.html

Washington Post headline "Trump says he wants to cover IVF costs as president." August 29, 2024.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-says-he-wants-to-cover-ivf-costs-as-president/2024/08/29/d480c9ec-d495-4ee7-a1fe-9142ab0334d0_video.html

NBC News headline "Trump says he wants to make IVF treatments paid for by government or insurance companies if elected," August 29, 2024.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-wants-make-ivf-treatments-paid-government-insurance-compani-rcna168804

15055681210

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Every Republican Congressperson from Missouri voted to cut Medicaid. 30% of Missourians are on Medicaid.

1642533866

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 27/02/2025

Why haven't we seen more backlash against the GOP's proposed cuts to Medicaid? One reason is that people may not know they're on Medicaid, because Medicaid has different names in different states (see 🧵). Another is that some people may not realize that they (or their kids) could qualify.

401261501

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

From a colleague in Montana who diagnosed a miscarriage. Apparently this insurer is “pausing” all review/authorization of “abortion related procedures.” Unfortunately we don’t get to *pause* patients having pregnancy complications while this crap is sorted out. (Shared with patient permission)

Screenshot of message from insurer saying that since Dobbs v. Jackson permitted states to restrict abortion, legal counsel had advised them to pause prior authorizations and medical review for all “abortion related procedures.”

1114

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Wait, what? Which part of making America healthy again is willful ignorance?

011

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Karly Kingsley @karlykingsley.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

“They know what they are doing is deeply unpopular. They are offering a tax cut to the most wealthy that is 850 times larger than what they are offering working people.“

9502196

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Adam Squires @adsquires.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Scientists here disagreed on whether lockdowns, school closures etc would be worse than the counterfactual of uncontrolled COVID spread. The disagreement was on the latter not the former, for which everyone across the spectrum recognised and discussed the societal harms. 1/

Tweet from me from Aug 2022 in response to Truss vowing no lockdowns: "Lockdown is like swerving into a ditch when your brakes fail, to avoid hitting the car in front. Truss is vowing never to swerve into a ditch, but not to get the brakes fixed."

Tweet from me Aug 2021: Just as with masks: there is no "pro/anti-lockdown" divide. Noone likes them. Everyone knows they work if no other options, like swerving into a ditch stops you crashing into the car in front if your brakes fail. A bad faith minority pretends otherwise.

39434

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Rio Tazewell @riotazewell.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

If the goal of ‘DOGE’ were truly to expose corruption and save taxpayer money it wouldn’t have been preceded by the unlawful firing of 18 Inspectors General whose job it is to expose corruption and save taxpayer money.

561757541

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

I hadn’t heard this story before. Even tiny acts of resistance can make a difference.

121

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Ryan Marino, MD @ryanmarino.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

You absolutely are not allowed to be in charge of science funding if you don’t know the difference between transgenic and transgender, and you should probably lose your $175/yr taxpayer job if you’re this bad at it

25636145

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Hamilton Nolan @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

A good way to understand why wealth inequality is a problem is, if some idiot says "no regulations should exist" you just laugh at him, but if that idiot has $400 billion then it's an existential crisis for America.

433558932

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

David Hackney @davidnhackney.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

The American College of OB/GYN’s website is now hosting the critical documents purged by the CDC This is what every professional medical organization should be doing right now #MedSky www.acog.org/clinical/cli...

acog.org

ACOG Endorsed

The following documents have ACOG’s endorsement and are listed in order of endorsed date.

4655602205

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 02/02/2025

cannot be said enough that for a decade a critical number of americans have simply refused to accept that he means what he says

1206468476509

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Charlotte Clymer @charlotteclymer.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

"We know you’re out of power. We understand you’re in the minority. We hear that, loud and clear. What we’re not hearing is your anger. We’re not hearing your outrage. We’re wondering whether or not you actually hear us." charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/comms-advi...

charlotteclymer.substack.com

Comms Advice for Democratic Lawmakers

You didn't ask, but I'm offering it anyway.

447127303330

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Dreaming Beetle @dreamingbeetle.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Removing access to datasets we paid for is theft.

351147

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

A cartoonishly bleak visual of how our values are being erased…

110

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Passing along from a colleague with a trusted friend at the CDC... #medsky #obgynsky

Text message:
FYI
Hey all, my friend works for the CDC and just called me...as of 5pm EST today they will be taking down all CDC websites having to do with STI, gender affirming care, contraception guidelines, probably all vaccine stuff. Anything gender inclusive. Pregnancy, sexual minority, MFM.

They will also not be able to respond to inquiries about specific pathogen outbreaks.

So if there are specific references you use from CDC this might be the moment to print out PDFs. And make sure to have the MEC contraception app and STI treatment app and vaccine app downloaded. Please pass one.

135

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

All this. And if people leave science and academics because they need to find a paying job elsewhere, it’s not like they’ll just all come back after a “pause” ends. Programs shutter. Research halts. Pipelines divert.

030

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

How is anybody supposed to understand what’s going on with the administration if the media doesn’t delve in or explain anything? I read @hcrichardson.bsky.social’s newsletter this morning, then got the @nytimes.com daily newsletter, and it’s like two different universes.

Excerpt from HCR explanation: Rather than backing down, President Petro threatened to levy a retaliatory tariff on U.S. products. Colombia imports 96.7% of the corn it feeds its livestock from the U.S., putting Colombia in the top five export markets for U.S. corn. According to a letter written by a bipartisan group of lawmakers eager to protect that trade, led by Senator Todd Young (R-IN), in 2003 the U.S. exported more than 4 million metric tons of corn to Colombia, which translated to $1.14 billion in sales. “American farmers cannot afford to lose such a vital export market,” the lawmakers wrote, “especially when access to the top U.S. corn export market, Mexico, is already at risk.”

By this morning the economic crisis appeared to be over, although U.S. visa restrictions apparently remain. With prior authorization and better treatment of migrants, Colombia is willing to accept the migrant flights. The White House declared victory, saying: “Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation's sovereignty…

NYT explanation: On Sunday, he threatened Colombia with 25 percent tariffs after it turned away two airplanes carrying deported immigrants. The government in Bogotá quickly reversed course.

110

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

I’m not particularly into football, but I love people who love the #BuffaloBills, so I find myself anxiously watching this game and getting VERY into it. Is this why people watch football every week?

120

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

OvercastLotus @overcastlotus.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

I visited Bastogne two years ago and made the trek out to see the foxholes (still there). It was haunting. Never did I think living here in America would become just as chilling.

952358

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Sounds like Trump is upset that civilian airliners have become too safe and is cracking down.

831520500

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

This is horrifying. Science is a search for truth. When did support for facts become a partisan issue?? Even a short-term pause on grants will have devastating effects to careers and programs, not to mention the harm to the public of missing out on scientific advances and knowledge.

science.org

Trump hits NIH with ‘devastating’ freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring

Researchers facing

061

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Stephanie Kennedy @wordswithsteph.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Trump rolled back the effort to lower Medicare, Medicaid drug costs. Trump’s Make Drug Prices High Again executive order rescinded the Biden-Harris order to lower drug costs — to cap the copayment for generic medications at $2 for Medicare beneficiaries. www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/tr...

marketwatch.com

Trump rolls back effort to lower Medicare, Medicaid drug costs

Trump’s executive order halts an effort to cap the copayment for generic medications at $2 for Medicare beneficiaries.

83990552

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Ben Wikler @benwikler.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

He's only been in office a few hours, but it's already been a gut punch of a first day for the Trump presidency. The TL;DR is that Trump has been focused on everything *except* making life better for working people. Get ready. It's time to fight. 🧵

231010151

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 20/01/2025

You won't be any better at fighting what's coming if you burn yourself out and spend all your time feeling bleak and hopeless, and the people telling you that it's all despair now probably don't have anyone's best interest at heart.

9079811979

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

10. But the point of Trump is impunity – for the law and custom, for values, decency and the bonds of trust, and for the forces of progress that are trying to make society better at the expense of the status quo.

18416

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

He did this about Hurricane Helene and now he’s doing this about the LA wildfires. It’s hard to believe someone can lie so cruelly and brazenly, especially in the face of such suffering, but he can and does.

010

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Mitch McConnell said things like: “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is”. But at the end of the day, he delayed the Senate trial, refused to vote to convict, and opposed Senate involvement in a Jan. 6 investigation. He protected Trump, though he saw how dangerous Trump was.

There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day…The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things.

And yet…McConnell refused to vote to convict. Seven of his colleagues did, and with McConnell’s leadership, more would have done so, potentially enough to get to the supermajority needed. With conviction, the Senate could have also taken the vote to block Trump from running again. Doing so would have ended Trump as a political power. McConnell was clearly considering this option. In an oral history interview at the time the House was impeaching Trump, McConnell said

But apparently you can impeach somebody after they leave office, and if that happens, there’s a second vote in the Senate, which only has to pass by a simple majority, that prevents that person from seeking office again. So he could not only be impeached, but also eliminated from the possibility of a comeback for this office. So it is significant.

628368

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Sarah Weinman @sarahweinman.com · 05/01/2025

Very late to this excellent Sophie Smith essay on the Pelicot case, which also doubles as a pretty damning critique of Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie novels.

lrb.co.uk

Sophie Smith · Sleeping Women: On the Pelicot trial

Gisèle Pelicot doesn’t conceive of her now ex-husband or the other men who raped her as ‘bad apples’, aberrations...

38713

Reposted by Rachel Flink, MD MPH

Josh Rosenau @joshrosenau.org · 04/01/2025

“I don’t want to do that” is a perfectly legitimate reason not to do most things, but treating off-work hours as if they should be billable time is a way to ruin almost anything.

2912

Rachel Flink, MD MPH @drflink.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Blue skies during our first ski outing of the year… Happy New Year everyone!

Sunny mountain view from above cloud cover

020