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Koh: Thank you so much Georges and welcome, APHA (audience applause). I am so delighted
and so humbled to speak before this great gathering of public health leaders from across
this nation because you are professionals who make things happen. You know, it’s been
said that there are three types of people in the world: those who makes things happen,
those who watch things happen and those who ask what happened. You are definitely in the
first group. You make things happen. Why, because you stand for something. And as the
old saying goes, if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything. We have
come here to Denver to APHA because we are standing together. We are standing together
reenergize our spirit and reaffirm our commitment. We are standing together because it is absolutely
critical to keep our public health community strong as we embark on the next chapter of
our public health journey during this unprecedented time. We’ve had quite a journey to take
us up to this point. Some would say it’s the journey of Christopher Columbus. When
he left he didn’t know where he was going. When he got there, he didn’t know who he
was. When he returned he didn’t know where he had been. Each of us has a unique journey
and for me today at this moment, I feel so grateful because my journey has brought me
here to you. My journey started a generation ago when my parents immigrated to this country
from Korea searching for the American dream. I can remember so clearly how almost every
day they told me and my siblings how lucky we were to be born in this great country.
How blessed we were to enjoy democracy and freedom. How essential it was to give it everything
we could and everything we did and reach our full potential in life and most importantly
they told us how critical it was to live a life of meaning and of higher purpose. And
so my journey took me first to medical school and to a career as a physician and a clinician
where I had the privilege of being a healthcare provider for over thirty years. But along
the way because of many of you, I also became part of this greater journey of public health.
First as the Commissioner of Public Health for the State of Massachusetts from 1997 to
2003, multiple governors by the way. And later as a researcher and a professor at the Harvard
School of Public Health. But now the great privilege of my life is to serve this great
country and to serve you as the assistant secretary for health and to work shoulder
to shoulder with each and every one of you as we try to help all people reach their highest
attainable standard of health. I love that phrase from the World Health Organization.
Thank you. We are working hard together here in Denver and beyond because we appreciate
how important and critical it is to help each person reach their highest attainable standard
of health. Because we understand so profoundly that good health is a gift. We have it today.
We hope we have it tomorrow. It is precious and precarious and the only way to protect
that gift is through public health. What I so respect about that this gathering of public
health leaders is that we have joined together in this common journey after addressing several
common questions. How do we make a life and not just a living? How do we live a life that’s
good and not just a good life? In response, I know that we have chosen but more importantly,
many of us feel called to this incredible profession of public health. It’s an incredible
feeling to be called to this indescribable profession. Something seeps into your soul
and won’t let go and that’s why we are here. And together we have seen suffering
and tried to heal it. Seen pain and tried to prevent it. Seen health inequity and tried
to end it. Many of us are wounded ourselves but we have decided to turn pain into power
and so we are wounded healers. And in meetings so many of you along my journey, what impresses
me so much is I can’t think of a field that more beautifully captures passion and compassion
because we understand so profoundly that the word passion means to suffer and the word
compassion means to suffer with. A major reason we have gathered at this meeting today is
to strengthen our commitment to fully and completely implement the patient protection
and the Affordable Care Act. Thank you. Thank you. And I want to thank you for making this
happen. I want to thank you for your support. Because of your dedication and your perseverance,
the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. Thank you. We all understand that the
Affordable Care Act is a transformative opportunity for our nation. Because of it we will bring
coverage to millions. We will build true systems of care. We will highlight the power of prevention
and public health for the whole nation to see and we will bring health security to every
American family. Thank you. Rest assured fully implementing the Affordable Care Act will
not be easy and I believe at crucial times like these we are being tested for our level
of commitment. Yes, we have some giant obstacles before us but as my good friend the late Reverend
William Sloane Coffin likes to say giant obstacles are brilliant opportunities. Brilliantly disguised
as giant obstacles. So I believe that the brilliant opportunity right now before all
of us is to renew our commitment and renew our efforts, support the full implementation
of this law and I believe passionately as you do that the Affordable Care Act will always
be remembered as a historic investment not only in human health but also the human spirit.
So stay strong, as Disraeli has said the secret of success is constancy of purpose. That’s
our challenge and our opportunity right now. And while we retain that constancy of purpose,
it’s also very important to stay flexible as it says in the Good Book, blessed are the
flexible. So that ye shall not be bent out of shape. So thank you, APHA. Thank you for
dedication to public health. Thank you for your leadership in rebuilding and reenergizing
our community. Thank you for your passion and compassion. Have a wonderful conference
and God Bless you all. Thank you very much. Thank you.