Watch: Surgeon General Jerome Adams on the importance of partnerships

“Reframe the way we talk about health such that it resonates more with voters and decision-makers.”

Those are words from new U.S Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, who tapped reframing the public health discussion as one of his goals as the nation’s top doctor. Adams spoke about this and more at APHA’s 2017 Annual Meeting and Expo in November in Atlanta, where he sat down for a one-on-one interview with APHA TV.

Adams was among a number of public health leaders — from local and federal public health officials to researchers on the front lines of pressing health threats such as climate change and gun violence — who spoke with APHA TV in Atlanta. Throughout the five-day meeting, APHA TV episodes broadcast inside the Georgia World Congress Center, in select hotels and on APHA’s website and YouTube channel. Thankfully, the nearly two-dozen episodes don’t go away when the Annual Meeting comes to a close — they’re available right now to watch and share.

Start your viewing with a call for public health partnerships from Adams, who told APHA TV he hopes to begin issuing a report on health and the economy. With voters and policymakers often ranking the economy and jobs as their top priorities, Adams said such a report can help make the case that investments in health will also lead to a “healthier bottom line.” But his main mantra, he said, is “better health through better partnerships.”

During his APHA TV interview, Adams challenged APHA members and others in the field to break out of their silos, pursue untraditional partnerships and think about outcomes through the lens of potential partners. For example, he said, engage local law enforcement in discussions on the relationships between better health and less recidivism. Talk to schools about the links between better health, greater academic success and fewer behavioral problems.

“There’s a lot of opportunity there and I challenge folks to think about those nontraditional partners the next time they’re having a convening and make sure you invite them to the table,” he said.

Watch Adams’ APHA TV episode to hear his remarks in full. And check out all of this year’s episodes at APHA TV.

For more video from APHA 2017, register for APHA Live. APHA Live includes on-demand, online access to 13 of the top sessions from the meeting along with the opportunity to earn more than 16 free continuing education credits. Watch, learn and be inspired.

For even more educational programming from APHA 2017, consider RAMP. It includes synced PowerPoint presentations and voice recording of scientific sessions from the Annual Meeting.