Over the past three years, our surgeon general Vivek Murthy has outlined the perils of being socially isolated (worse than 15 cigarettes per day) and the pressures that disproportionately impact parents and caregivers raising children (increased loneliness, strains on finances and time, increased concerns about children’s health, safety, tech use and future success).
Dr. Raquel Harrison
Sometimes as New Canaanites, reports like this that may capture national trends resonate, and sometimes they don’t. We like to think our small town offers some immunity to these challenges, until we are reminded that we are not.
I’m fortunate to serve on the Health and Human Services Commission in town and have the opportunity to consider how we allocate resources that most greatly align with the needs of those in our community. Generally speaking, we allocate funding to initiatives that lie on the spectrum from prevention to rescue. Our hope is that we fund resources in our community in a way that best addresses the needs our residents have.
As an emergency physician, I see firsthand the rescue moments and naturally ask and wonder if there could have been a role for prevention. I am always curious when things shifted: when the poor eating habits and nutrition tipped the patient into diabetes, or when the glass of wine every other night turned into “I cannot wake up without thinking about my next drink”. The slide that happens as we no longer go from needing prevention but rather rescue is real. When do we realize that someone in our community, someone we know, someone we love has crossed over from needing prevention and support to needing rescue?
There are over 30 local organizations who have come together to create the Community Health and Well-Being Survey. It is a short but powerful survey aimed at helping our town better understand what is needed to best serve New Canaanites on that continuum of prevention to rescue. Through efforts like the Community Health and Well-Being Survey, we have a chance to identify where those gaps exist and, as a community, shift the focus toward prevention—before crisis hits. By understanding the needs of our residents, we can build a stronger, more proactive network of support.
Have you filled out the survey? Have you encouraged someone else to fill it out?
The hope of the survey is to capture every adult voice, giving us a complete picture of our New Canaan community’s needs and not simply base things on national reports. How great would it be if everyone who reads this and is engaged in town fills in the survey! How much greater would the impact be if you could encourage someone who is not as involved, who could really benefit from our town understanding the reality of their life and how they can best be supported along the spectrum of prevention to rescue.
Please join me in taking the Community Health and Well-being Survey today.