by Joan Bedinghaus M.D., Seth Foldy M.D., MPH and Jacob Weiss, M.D.

This Saturday, March 28, thousands of Coloradans from all walks of life will gather in Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Cortez, Grand Junction, Manitou, and more than 50 other Centennial State communities to participate in “No Kings” day rallies. 

Among the marchers will be hundreds of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other public health workers.

Why are doctors and their colleagues marching in the streets? 

As health care professionals, we feel ethically bound to protest the damage to our patients and neighbors caused by President Donald Trump and his so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Just look at the catastrophic results:

  • 150,000 Coloradans will lose health insurance.
  • Health insurance costs will double for 225,000 Coloradans in 2026.
  • Ten of 43 rural hospitals in Colorado are at risk of closing because of cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies.
  • Trump’s appointees to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control have disrupted immunization schedules while measles, whooping cough, and other preventable outbreaks spread. 
  • President Trump has frozen spending for financial assistance, childcare, and job training for needy families, slashed millions in AIDS and sexually transmitted disease funding, and vetoed the Arkansas Valley Conduit project, which would have brought clean water to many communities.
  • As wildfires, drought, and extreme weather threaten our health, safety, and livelihoods, Trump and his allies are dismantling climate research and Environmental Protection Agency safeguards. 
  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have made many people afraid to go to hospitals, schools, and even grocery stores.  Poor conditions in ICE detention centers have been implicated in 32 deaths in 2025 and 11 so far in 2026. 

Enough is enough! As health care professionals, we are committed to protecting our patients and serving our communities.  As Americans, we must act to protect our democracy.

That’s why we have formed Health Workers Speak Out, a new, Colorado-based, all-volunteer effort by and for health workers opposed to the harmful impacts of the Trump administration’s policies.  All active or retired health care allies are invited to support our shared cause. 

For the upcoming Saturday, March 28, No Kings rally in Denver, we will be gathering at noon at the southwest corner of East 14 Ave. and Lincoln St.  Please join us there — or learn more here.

Dr. Joan Bedinghaus is a retired family physician. Dr. Seth Foldy is a family physician with an additional degree in public health. Dr. Jacob Weiss is a family physician with a focus on treating addiction.