Surgeon General Emphasizes Community Partnerships at ACHI Conference

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D., touted “better health through better partnership” in a speech last week at the AHA’s Association for Community Health Improvement conference. This year’s conference theme focused on the importance of building relationships within health care organizations and with the community to foster health and well-being for individuals and communities. Adams highlighted the importance of going to partners, learning to speak their language, and hearing their concerns in order to build relationships and take action collaboratively. He shared how he has worked with non-traditional partners to find shared values and priorities to address major public health issues, including an HIV outbreak in Indiana and the opioid epidemic. Adams called on the nearly 650 conference attendees to take his message home and build relationships in their local communities that are necessary for improving health and well-being.