TED Talk Reflection: What if our healthcare system kept us healthy?

TED Talk

For this reflection, I watched a TED Talk called “What if our healthcare system kept us healthy?” by Rebecca Onie (link is above). At first glance, I can admit that this TED Talk does not seem to be related to my charity, the Ronald McDonald House, at all. However, upon further inspection it became clear to me that the issues Rebecca Onie discusses are not only relevant to the guests of the Ronald McDonald House, but to society as a whole. Rebecca Onie points out the difference between the current medical system of “sick care,” where we go to doctors when we’re unhealthy expecting medications and a magical cure all for our diseases, and the ideal system of “healthcare,” where doctors are capable of prescribing solutions to the issues that get us sick in the first place. The absence of disease isn’t the only qualifier in describing a person as healthy, so healthcare should go beyond medications and treatments to encompass the holistic view of a person’s health. Lifestyle choices have been shown to be the largest indicator in the health of a person, so doctors should be targeting the lifestyles of their patients to see the best improvement.

For impoverished patients, like those that the Ronald McDonald House serves, many lifestyle choices aren’t really choices. Impoverished Americans may not be able to afford good housing and healthy food options for themselves and their children, negatively impacting health and causing the need for the Ronald McDonald House. Improving the health of America begins by improving the conditions of poor citizens, the way doctors look at treating their patients, and the accessibility of medical care. If America decides to choose the real path of health care as opposed to "sick care," the Ronald McDonald House may receive fewer families with children in the NICU or undergoing drastic treatments.

Rebecca Onie’s TED talk also focuses on a topic very near to the goal of the service learning project of CIS. Onie’s idea of healthcare is being practiced in at risk cities across the country with one main resource in common—college students. If a college can empower its students to take action against the social issues found in a community, a lot of improvement can be made. Similarly, the CIS course pushed students to make a difference in the community they surround themselves with, by assigning us organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, the Academy, and the Lexington Public Library.