there’s a lot more that affects our health and our well-being other than what we might learn about in medical school or in our science class and it turns out that one of those things are our relationships you know when we’re connected to each other that impacts our health in profound ways and when we’re disconnected that also can really hurt us it’s become so clear that these issues like loneliness and mental health are weighing on people they’re impacting their health and well-being across the age spectrum and that’s one of the reasons why I’ve decided to bring these issues into focus and make them a big part of my work as Surgeon General our connection with one another is just fundamental to who we are it’s at the heart of how we operate as families as communities as a country and as a world and so my hope is that I can do everything I can during my time as surgeon down on the years after to contribute to strengthening that social fabric