Hill June 18, 2020
America’s economic and racial inequality, thin social safety nets and fragmented health care system are putting the most disadvantaged people at the greatest risk from COVID-19. Yet, in the midst of this crisis, there are inspiring examples of organizations that are transforming health care through trust-based relationships and community partnerships that provide whole-person care for people’s physical, economic and social needs.
The pioneering research of forest ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard offers a metaphor for what these health care organizations do. Trees, it turns out, are in constant relationship with each other via large underground networks through which they communicate and share essential nutrients. The large hub, or “mother,” trees anchor the health of the forest, supporting other trees’ growth and...