The Number Missing From Your Phone

On February 16, 1968, a red telephone rang in a police station in Haleyville, Alabama.

The call had come from the mayor's office. It was a demonstration, the first 911 call in the United States. Three digits connected two rooms. In the years ahead, those digits would become a way for millions of people to reach help.

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That familiar connection had to be built.

Two years earlier, a landmark National Academy of Sciences report had drawn a troubling comparison: an injured American at home could fare worse than a wounded soldier in Southeast Asia. Hospitals and doctors existed. The failure was in getting people the care they needed when they needed it.

Communities invested in coordinated emergency response, trained personnel, and trauma care. As 911 spread, telephone-bill fees became one way to sustain it. Today, we expect to be able to reach emergency help wherever we make our home.

Now take a look at the phone in your pocket.

You can reach your family, check your bank account, order dinner. But when you need medical care, whose number do you have?

Have you ever wished you had your doctor's personal cell phone number?

Imagine you are running out of your blood pressure or diabetes medication. Getting an appointment means taking unpaid time off, and this month you cannot afford to lose those hours. The bottle is almost empty. You need a doctor who can assess your condition and, when appropriate, renew your prescription.

Interruptions in treatment can allow an illness to worsen, sometimes enough to require emergency care or a hospital stay. A manageable medical need can become a complicated, expensive problem when care is delayed. Reaching a physician in time creates an opportunity to keep that from happening.

This is the everyday connection Aurora has an opportunity to build.

I have asked our City Council to give serious consideration to Tap, a proposed community program connecting participating households directly with physicians who evaluate patients, treat medical conditions, and prescribe medications when appropriate. Think of having a doctor's number in your contacts and being able to receive medical care through that connection. The physician can also identify when an examination, testing, or additional services are needed.

For someone who already has insurance and a regular doctor, that connection can offer convenience between appointments. For someone who has struggled to find or afford care, it can open a door that has too often felt closed. People with resources and people without them deserve a dependable place to begin.

That connection matters for mental health, too. Someone struggling with anxiety or depression needs access to assessment, treatment, and continuing care. Earlier help creates a chance to intervene before symptoms become a crisis, and to connect people with more intensive support when needed. We should make care easier to reach while there is still an opportunity to prevent suffering from deepening.

That is why I introduced House Bill 5772 (HB5772): to help give every family a doctor they can text, call, or reach by video for everyday care.

The proposed program would be supported by a household fee collected through a utility bill. We already use existing bills to help sustain services such as 911. Aurora can consider that practical approach for everyday care, with clear information about the charge, what it includes, and how to decline participation. Residents should know what they are paying for and be able to hold the program accountable.

Tap would add to the care our community relies on. Heart attacks, strokes, and serious car accidents still require emergency response. Cancer diagnosis and treatment still require appropriate testing and specialty care. Insurance remains essential for the broader care and financial protection this service does not provide.

For the person watching that prescription bottle empty, the immediate need is practical: reach a doctor, get appropriate treatment, and keep caring for their health. Meeting everyday needs sooner can help avoid the suffering and expense of a crisis later.

If that is something you want for Aurora, tell your alderperson. Ask the council to move the Tap proposal forward, with clear pricing, the right to decline participation, and accountability for the service promised. Tell them what easier access to a doctor would mean in your own life.

That red telephone helped begin a connection Americans now count on. Aurora can take a step toward another: everyday access to a doctor.

A doctor's number should have a place in every family's phone.

About Barbara Hernandez:

Barbara Hernandez currently serves in the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 50th District, which includes much of the City of Aurora and Kane County. Born and raised on the East Side of Aurora, she brings a deep understanding of her community to her work. After serving on the Kane County Board beginning in 2016, she was first sworn into the Illinois General Assembly in early 2019. Representative Hernandez has sponsored legislation advancing racial justice, gender equality, and economic sustainability, and has consistently advocated for equity for some of Illinois' most underserved communities. A longtime public servant, she has a proven track record of championing policies that promote equality and opportunity across the state of Illinois.