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By Rebecca McGrath, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy 

Many years ago, I was taking my fussy newborn on his first flight. As I was trying to settle him down, I felt a tap on my shoulder; U.S. Rep. John Lewis was standing behind me. He smiled down at my son and said, “Let him speak.”

A few years later I saw the Congressman again and reminded him of this story. He smiled at me and said, “I hope he is continuing to find his voice. Everyone deserves to be heard.”

Everyone deserves to be heard. I have carried these words with me.

Every day, in government relations, I advocate for Cardinal Health, our customers, and our employees to influence the future of health care. But I also advocate in another way. I advocate to help others find their voice and use their voice to make change.

We all have unique experiences; each individual requires something different. It is up to us as leaders to advocate for others, remove barriers to access, and consciously create opportunities. It is taking action to leverage our connections, make space for others to grow, and empower each individual to navigate evolving circumstances with our support.

I am fortunate to have had strong female mentors throughout my life. As I have grown in my career, I make a deliberate effort to do the same for others, helping them find a seat at the table or opening doors that might not otherwise be opened. With success comes privilege, and it’s our responsibility to leverage that privilege to create opportunities for others.

Through advocacy, we create those pathways to bring others into the conversation. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I have a challenge for you. Ask yourself: How are you helping open doors? Are you inviting women into the conversation and making space?

Take action to do more to make sure everyone is heard.

Rebecca McGrath, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy, is an experienced government relations professional with proven ability to achieve federal legislative, programmatic, regulatory, and advocacy-related goals on behalf of Cardinal Health and patient advocacy organizations. She has an extensive track record of success in securing passage of legislation and inclusion of direct appropriations, building consensus regarding policy change among industry and stakeholder partners, and maintaining long-standing bipartisan relationships. McGrath holds a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College and a Juris Doctor  from American University, Washington College of Law.