Building Healthy Communities

What comes to mind when you think about what makes a community "healthy"?

I'm pleased to announce that GSK is working with The Atlantic to bring together national and local thought leaders in three cities--starting with Philadelphia--to share their perspectives on building healthier communities. It kicks off September 24 at 3:00 PM (EDT). I hope you can make some time to watch it live.

I moved to Philadelphia a few years ago. What a great city! It has a history of medical innovation and an impressive collection of world-class medical institutions, including the nation's oldest hospital. Yet we have the third lowest life expectancy among America's big cities and the worst health outcomes in Pennsylvania. What are we doing wrong--or what aren't we doing at all?

With The Atlantic, our goal is to identify innovative, yet practical ways to work with communities and stakeholders--including health organizations, professionals, elected officials, advocates and citizens--to explore new approaches to improving the public's health.

Some of the region's top minds in the fields of medicine, public health, academia, government, business and philanthropy will examine the broader factors that influence health in Philadelphia and what is being done today in communities across the city to successfully overcome barriers and challenges.

After Philadelphia, we will travel to St. Louis and a third city, still to be identified, to continue the conversation. Be sure to like GSK on Facebook and follow @GSKUS on Twitter--and use #HealthyCommunity to weigh in--for updates from the events.

You can also learn more in an Op Ed I co-wrote with Philadelphia's Mayor Michael Nutter, and on our YouTube channel--in English and Spanish.