03/10/2026
Find community here.
Here is the question that has followed me through my years as a doctor and Surgeon General: How do we find a sense of connection, joy, and meaning in a world that too often fuels loneliness, conflict, and despair?
Over the course of thousands of conversations with people in exam rooms, town halls, and classrooms, I found a common thread: a quiet hunger for connection, a search for meaning, and a persistent longing to feel less alone. Over time, I came to understand something simple but profound: that community is not a luxury, but a form of medicine. We need community to feel whole.
Since leaving office, I have continued working with people across the country. What I keep hearing — and what I believe — is that the challenges we face run deeper than the headlines suggest. We have to look beneath the surface. This is about what we yearn for but are losing underneath: our relationships, our capacity for joy, and our sense that we are part of something that matters.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing a few new ways through which I hope we can have more open, honest conversations about how to restore the foundations of our well-being. This is about staying human, and it’s something we have to figure out together. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the search for a fulfilling life is not something we’re meant to navigate alone.
