Dear Friend of Public Health

By Georges C. Benjamin MD
[APHA Executive Director]

How did you get to work today? Did it improve your health?

When I asked a traffic engineer those questions, we ended up having a fascinating conversation. She was someone used to focusing on safety and was thrilled to consider the broader impact she could have on her community’s health.

In our quest to become the healthiest nation, these are the types of discussions we need to have more often. Today in America, your zip code can mean a 15 year difference in life expectancy. We can’t fix this in a doctor’s office. We need to work far upstream with housing, transportation, education, parks & recreation, energy, employment, criminal justice – all the areas of our society that unfortunately are not giving people an equal opportunity for a long and healthy life.

That’s why this year’s Annual Meeting theme is “Health in All Policies.” Now more than ever we need to explore new ways to build partnerships. Our opening session will feature Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, who will discuss improving education, especially for minorities. He will be joined by actor Ed Begley Jr., a passionate environmentalist who will share his current initiatives in the environment field. Our closing session with health officials from Baltimore, St. Louis and Chicago will focus on building healthy and just communities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join more than 12,000 of the brightest minds in public health. We’ll celebrate everything public health is doing right, and explore how we need to evolve to meet tomorrow’s challenges. Register now to take advantage of early-bird discounts.

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago.

Sincerely,

Georges C. Benjamin MD

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[Foreword Dr. Phillips MD JD MBA LLM] *** [Foreword Dr. Nash MD MBA FACP]

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