Beyond Health Care: Why We Get Sick and What To Do About It

Where we live and work can be more significant to health and longevity than medical care. This helps explain the troubling picture of health in America. Why we spend more on health care but have the worst health in the industrialized world. Why the current generation of children may be sicker and live shorter lives than their parents. And why people of color age more rapidly and experience greater physiological decay than whites. Medical care is essential but improving the health of Americans depends on looking beyond medical care to equipping people to live healthier lives. Part of the answer lies with responsible personal choices but it also requires a broader community approach focused on education, income, housing, and neighborhoods.

Renowned researcher David Williams will discuss the profound impact of personal and societal conditions and what we can do to improve the health of our communities. His presentation will be followed by a panel discussion including Jan Malcolm, U of M School of Public Health, Sahra Noor, CEO of People’s Center Health Services, and moderated by Professor Larry Jacobs. Light lunch served before the event. 

David Williams is the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. An internationally recognized authority on social influences on health, his research has enhanced our understanding of the complex ways in which socioeconomic status, race, stress, racism, health behavior and religious involvement can affect health. Dr. Williams has played a visible, national leadership role in raising awareness levels of the problem of health inequalities and identifying interventions to address them. He or his research has been featured by some of the nation’s top print and television news organizations. He holds an MPH from Loma Linda University and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan.

View Dr. Williams' presentation slides

Listen to his presentation: