“I hear and I
forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Confucius
– Chinese philosopher – born August 27, 551 BCE
As you know, I’ve been going around the state having
people pitch me ideas about what Minnesota needs to do to regain its stature as
the healthiest state in the nation. I have those discussions before, during and
after pitching horseshoes in a local park. This afternoon I stopped in
Ottertail County to talk with a group of local and state elected officials,
health care workers, local public health, community organizations, Area Health
Education Center staff, educators and other interested citizens. I was also
pleased that some of our district staff was there. Tomorrow I’m in Clay and
Becker counties interacting with similar groups of people. Tonight I’m in
Moorhead.
This is my fourth “Pitch the Commissioner”
trip but the first one that has required an overnight stay, so this is the
first opportunity I’ve had to let you know what I’m hearing, what I’m seeing
and what I’m doing. I’m hoping that those three things lead to some
understanding as outlined by Confucius.
What I’m hearing is that communities across the state are looking for continued partnership with MDH. They speak highly of the help that has come from all divisions within MDH. It may have come from the district nurse consultant who has helped with an MCH issue; a sanitarian who has helped with a pesky water quality issue; a nursing home inspector who has helped improve the quality of care; a health economist or statistician who has provided some useful information to a hospital administrator, or a grants manager who has helped an agency work through a tough problem – to name just a few. I’m certainly hearing a lot about the value of SHIP and how it’s changed the conversation and relationships in communities. It has had an effect more powerful than I had imagined. Mostly, I’m hearing that people throughout the state see us as good partners in creating healthy communities.
I’m also hearing that there are some acute needs in
most communities. The public health infrastructure is weakening, and it’s
becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the high level of service that
local agencies have provided. I hear about creative and unique ways of
making do but the lack of resources is starting to take its toll. I hear
about changing demographics that are challenging the communities, and I hear
about many of the specific acute and chronic problems that are present in every
community.
What I’m seeing in these communities is amazing. I
see a pride in what these communities have accomplished and a desire to do even
more. I see partnerships, affiliations, alliances and collaborations that
have been established and solidified and are having a huge impact on the health
of these communities. People are anxious to work together to improve their
communities. I see the huge impact that small investments in prevention
can make. I see things that make me feel proud to be a Minnesotan and proud to
be part of a public health system that helps make these things happen.
What I am doing – besides listening and looking – is asking questions about the needs and strengths of communities and what help they would like to get from the state and MDH. I must admit that I also do quite a bit of advocating for creating a public health framework for health reform, rebalancing funding for medical care and public health and integrating medical care and public health. But mostly I advocate for how we can create healthy communities where people have the opportunity to be healthy and where health disparities are eliminated. The points of those presentations will have to wait for a later note.
Confucius said, “There
are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the
highest. The second is imitation, which is the easiest. The third is
experience, which is the bitterest.” I hate to disagree with a noted
philosopher on his birthday, but the experiences that I’m getting through my
visits are certainly adding to my knowledge and understanding of the needs of
the state (I can only hope that they add to my wisdom) and they are far from
bitter. They are rich and flavorful experiences that fill me with hope
for our state.
As I go around the state and talk with people, they
often wonder if those of us in the metro area or working at the state level
know what the local folks are doing and if we understand its importance. I
can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve certainly come to see them as an integral
part of the public health enterprise that’s so essential if we are to be the
healthiest state in the nation. They give credence to what Nobel Peace
Prize winner Mother Teresa (BD 8/27/1910) said, "What we are doing is
just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the
ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
Ed
