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Dr. Jerome Adams on why the words we use matter in efforts to promote health equity
Episode 166

Dr. Jerome Adams on why the words we use matter in efforts to promote health equity

The Health Disparities Podcast

May 8, 202442m 22s

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Show Notes

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has the following message for health equity advocates: forge respectful relationships with people with different viewpoints — and pay close attention to the words you use.

“We need to learn to speak in a language that resonates with folks,” Adams says. “When that happens, you will get better policy making.”

Adams recounts his experience – both as the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and as the former state health commissioner for Indiana – in an interview with Health Disparities podcast host Claudia Zamora.

He also discusses his new book, Crisis and Chaos: Lessons From the Front Lines of the War Against COVID-19, explains why diversity in medicine matters, and talks about the importance of dismantling stigma to increase access to mental health care and addiction treatment.