HHS Secretary Burwell Addresses GW students

HHS Secretary Burwell Addresses GW students -

HHS Secretary addresses students Burwell GW

October 15, 2014 Emily Newhook

Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the new Secretary of Health and Human services, spoke about leadership and vision for the department recently at an event organized by the Milken Institute school of public health at George Washington University. Dean Lynn Goldman presented the incoming secretary as "a great leader" before ceding the stage to Burwell, who has set aside the time to answer questions from students after his address. But first, she has highlighted three objectives it intends to pursue in his new role :. to deliver results, strengthen relationships and build strong teams

Burwell credited his small town upbringing in Hinton, West Virginia, as the inspiration for many of the direction of price values ​​it today. she learned the hard work and customer service at dinner of his grandfather, Denny ( "Denny ... no there was no Grand Slam "), and the importance of providing tangible results in one of his first jobs, scooping ice cream.

strong relationships with colleagues and the general public hinge on trust, she said - and transparency will play a large role in establishing that trust. "While the numbers are not quite where we want them, we'll tell you about it," she continued. "He can not do to the best and most attractive press release, but we believe that you build trust by sharing the news, good and bad." She also stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation, citing the ongoing efforts of the Department to work with the state governments on the Medicaid expansion.

"There are ideological cancer cure anything. There is not a Democratic or Republican way to solve Ebola. There is not a liberal or conservative approach to suicide prevention. "- Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services

the issues students have addressed a variety of topics, work-life balance and background Burwell . Congress communication and disease prevention A student in health administration from the Milken Institute school asked: "from the perspective of public health, disease prevention is much cheaper than treating a disease or illness. What barriers prevent us to use more resources to address the social determinants of health are the main means of preventing disease, and how can we overcome these obstacles? "

Burwell noted the importance of prevention, but also the inherent difficulties of cultivating a culture that supports it. Using a healthy diet, for example, she cited three main variables that can determine the success of a prevention initiative: first, the knowledge of how to prevent a given condition; (What is healthy eating?) Second, the availability and accessibility of tools for prevention (how much access to healthy food?); and third, whether individuals work together as communities to facilitate the most important cultural and behavioral changes.

For the future health managers and professionals in public health, Burwell will definitely someone to look at the discussion of topics such as surrounding Affordable Care Act and transparency of cost health care continue to evolve. Look at his address in full.