Kathie Allen

Utah needs a caring physician in Congress! As a family physician, I have spent my 30 year professional career caring for my patients and 26 years in a nurturing relationship with my husband and three step-children. Now it is time to care for our country. I believe that the democratic protections we have taken for granted are under threat. The very nature of honesty and integrity has been under assault. Truth is flat-lining and needs CPR. There is an objective reality out there, and, as a woman of science, I intend to protect that reality. My current representative in Congress, Jason Chaffetz, has been deaf to the concerns of his constituents and has claimed that they are “paid protesters.”

More medically trained people are needed in government. We can critically examine symptoms, synthesize them, and render an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Congress is ailing and we have a prescription.

My Background:

I received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Redlands, CA in 1975. Immediately after college, my first employment was as a Congressional Aide to Honorable Shirley N. Pettis, of the 37th Congressional District of California, my native state. I worked in this capacity for about three years, and learned a great deal about how the federal government functions and fails to function. I then worked in a County Housing program for two years while I finished preparing for medical school. Duties of this job included going out into the desert near 29 Palms and enrolling senior citizens in a housing repair program. I visited many residences that did not have indoor plumbing; some were literally shacks.

My professional training as a physician entailed four years at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where I graduated in the top third of my class. I then moved to Salt Lake City to pursue a three year residency in Family Medicine through the University of Utah, completed in 1987. I practiced in the West Valley area for most of my career, running my own business. I personally experienced the challenges of small business owners. Toward the end of my tenure in private practice, it became difficult to make ends meet and to keep abreast of onerous regulations. I sold my privately owned practice to a large corporation with the intention of continuing to work for them for five years. I only lasted three. I was caught in a moral dilemma: doing what I thought was right for my patients kept bumping up against the organization’s desires that I make decisions that would enhance their bottom line. Today I work in a private clinic run for the employees and staff of the Utah Transit Authority.

Past Leadership:

For about 25 years, I have been active in organized medicine. I am a past president of the Salt Lake County Medical Society. In the Utah Medical Association, I held many positions of leadership, including Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates. The UMA Women’s Section awarded me the Deborah Robinson Memorial Award for my activism.

My Philosophy:

Last year, my husband and I, along with a group of friends, visited Scandinavia. One thing that struck us in these social democracies was how seriously their citizens pledge to look after one another’s welfare. In America, we state that we are created equal and have certain unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There are parts of the world which take this commitment to heart. I believe that people are not only created equal, but continue to be equal throughout their lives. I am dismayed by our elected leaders’ unrealistic promises to people whose livelihoods are threatened by technological changes in our world. The funds earmarked by Utah politicians for a California coal port were originally intended to stimulate the economies of rural areas of Utah. Once again, the greed of a few individuals overcame what could have been a real effort to bring clean industries to our rural areas and re-employ our rural citizens. i believe we can encourage individual responsibility as we care responsibly for one another.

Personal Life:

I have been married for 26 years to Craig Fineshriber, retired Utah Symphony Principal Percussionist. Craig devoted 40 years of his life to high art. I have three grown step-children and two grandchildren.

My interests are varied. I direct a Balkan Women’s Choir called “Darena” which presents the music of the Balkan countries. We performed during the 2002 Winter Games here in Salt Lake City. I am also on the leadership team of the Mountain Jubilee Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International (lady’s barbershop) and play several musical instruments, including the accordion. I am quite fluent in French and have enjoyed international travel. Reading has always been important to me.

I look forward to getting to know more of my fellow-citizens in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District – and hope you’ll get to know me.