Dr. Céline Gounder

Medicare, by the way, is socialized medicine, which people don't want to hear, but it is. So you have largely taxpayer money, some philanthropic foundation money, maybe some public-private partnership, but most of public health is taxpayer dollars. It is looking at health from a population-public perspective. hence public health perspective.

Medicare, by the way, is socialized medicine, which people don't want to hear, but it is. So you have largely taxpayer money, some philanthropic foundation money, maybe some public-private partnership, but most of public health is taxpayer dollars. It is looking at health from a population-public perspective. hence public health perspective.

And so it's not decision-making for an individual patient. And I think this is one area where people got frustrated during the pandemic because you had these blanket recommendations for how do we reduce disease and death at the population level? And some people would say, yeah, but that's not me. You know, and so...

And so it's not decision-making for an individual patient. And I think this is one area where people got frustrated during the pandemic because you had these blanket recommendations for how do we reduce disease and death at the population level? And some people would say, yeah, but that's not me. You know, and so...

they would not see themselves at being at risk, for example, and are not necessarily thinking about not just what, say, COVID infection means for them, but what it might mean for the people around them. And so those are just different ways of how do you weigh risk and benefit of certain different things.

they would not see themselves at being at risk, for example, and are not necessarily thinking about not just what, say, COVID infection means for them, but what it might mean for the people around them. And so those are just different ways of how do you weigh risk and benefit of certain different things.

Another way to think about public health is it's all the stuff that does not happen in a clinic or hospital. It's all the stuff like, what's your air quality, your water quality? What is the safety of your neighborhood? Is it so violent you can't go out for a walk and exercise in your neighborhood? What is your access to healthy food?

Another way to think about public health is it's all the stuff that does not happen in a clinic or hospital. It's all the stuff like, what's your air quality, your water quality? What is the safety of your neighborhood? Is it so violent you can't go out for a walk and exercise in your neighborhood? What is your access to healthy food?

You know, those are the kinds of things we think about in public health. And that's not something you address with a prescription pad or a surgery. A lot of our levers in public health are really about policy and how do you shift the needle through policy.

You know, those are the kinds of things we think about in public health. And that's not something you address with a prescription pad or a surgery. A lot of our levers in public health are really about policy and how do you shift the needle through policy.

You know, with respect to the UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassination murder, I found that profoundly disturbing because it speaks to how disempowered even this highly educated, privileged young man, how disempowered he felt in fighting the issues with our healthcare system. And yes, our healthcare system is horrible. We spend more than any other country in the world.

You know, with respect to the UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassination murder, I found that profoundly disturbing because it speaks to how disempowered even this highly educated, privileged young man, how disempowered he felt in fighting the issues with our healthcare system. And yes, our healthcare system is horrible. We spend more than any other country in the world.

We have the worst outcomes of any high-income country. And by the way, health care itself only predicts about 10% to 20% of life expectancy of people's health outcomes. And so a lot of what needs to be done to improve people's health is not in health care. Again, it's in public health. It's about 80%, 90% of the game is in public health.

We have the worst outcomes of any high-income country. And by the way, health care itself only predicts about 10% to 20% of life expectancy of people's health outcomes. And so a lot of what needs to be done to improve people's health is not in health care. Again, it's in public health. It's about 80%, 90% of the game is in public health.

What really upset me about that incident was people are so disempowered that they feel like they have no choice but vigilante justice, but political violence. And that's a very scary place to be when people don't believe in voting, in government institutions, in meeting with their local officials. Yes, all of that takes time.

What really upset me about that incident was people are so disempowered that they feel like they have no choice but vigilante justice, but political violence. And that's a very scary place to be when people don't believe in voting, in government institutions, in meeting with their local officials. Yes, all of that takes time.

It does take time to get informed, to understand the issues, to reach out to those people and to talk to them. But I think that is where we really need to be encouraging people to get involved is do those things. DC might seem very far away. And again, a lot of the action is not in DC for these issues. It is in your state. It's in your city. Get involved at that level.

It does take time to get informed, to understand the issues, to reach out to those people and to talk to them. But I think that is where we really need to be encouraging people to get involved is do those things. DC might seem very far away. And again, a lot of the action is not in DC for these issues. It is in your state. It's in your city. Get involved at that level.

In New York City, for example, we have these community health boards. And I've met with a bunch of them over the last several years during the pandemic to educate them. These are concerned citizens who are really trying to do what they can to make their communities healthier. And yes, that, again, takes time. It takes lots of people. But that's where you can have a very tangible impact.

In New York City, for example, we have these community health boards. And I've met with a bunch of them over the last several years during the pandemic to educate them. These are concerned citizens who are really trying to do what they can to make their communities healthier. And yes, that, again, takes time. It takes lots of people. But that's where you can have a very tangible impact.