MOVING TOWARDS THE--THE LAST PORTION
OF OUR--OF OUR PROGRAM TODAY,
UM, IT TRULY IS AN HONOR TO, UM, INTRODUCE--
AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE BOTH ABLE TO BE HERE TOGETHER
IS UNBELIEVABLE--
UM, THESE ARE THE, UH-- THE TWO CO-CHAIRS,
THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CO-CHAIRS,
OF OUR NATIONAL ACTION ALLIANCE,
UM, FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION THAT DR. McKEAN SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER,
UM, AND THAT, UH, DR. MAFFUCCI DISCUSSED,
UH, TALKED ABOUT PERHAPS LEADING--
LEADING THE CHARGE IN MANY WAYS,
AS WELL AS DR. BERGER.
UM, SO I'D FIRST LIKE TO INTRODUCE DR. CLANCY.
DR. CAROLYN CLANCY IS A DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR HEALTH,
FOR ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE
AT THE, UH, VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SHE IS A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED
AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PHYSICIAN EXECUTIVE,
HAVING ALSO SERVED
AS THE INTERIM UNDER SECRETARY FOR HEALTH
FROM JUNE 2014 TO JULY 2015.
IN HER CURRENT POSITION,
DR. CLANCY WORKS CLOSELY WITH DEPARTMENT LEADERS,
AS WELL AS VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS,
CONGRESS, AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS,
ADDRESSING THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS
OF OUR NATION'S VETERANS.
UM, IT IS JUST AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO INTRODUCE DR. CLANCY.
SHOULD I INTRODUCE YOU TOGETHER?
OK, THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP TOGETHER,
SO, UM--AND BEFORE I FINISH,
UM, DR. CLANCY IS ALSO REALLY ONE OF, UH--
ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I JUST LOOK UP TO
AND ASPIRE TO BE SOMEDAY
SO DON'T BLOW IT, DR. CLANCY.
HA HA HA!
THANK YOU.
UM, ROBERT TURNER IS OUR-- THE PRIVATE CO-CHAIR
FOR THE NATIONAL ACTION ALLIANCE.
UM, HE, UM, ALSO SERVES
ON THE GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF HIRAM COLLEGE
IN HIRAM, UH, OHIO--EXCUSE ME.
AS CO-CHAIR, UH, MR. TURNER PROVIDES OVERALL VISION
AND LEADERSHIP FOR THE ACTION ALLIANCE
AS IT ADVANCES THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION,
A NATIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA, AND PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT.
UM, HE USES HIS BUSINESS EXPERIENCE IN LEADERSHIP
TO ADVANCE A NATIONAL CULTURE OF SAFETY
AND INCREASED SUICIDE PREVENTION--
UM, UH, AN INCREASED SUICIDE PREVENTION TREATMENT
AND AFTERCARE AWARENESS,
PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE.
AGAIN, A DELIGHT AND AN HONOR TO INTRODUCE DR. CLANCY
AND MR. ROBERT TURNER.
[APPLAUSE]
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY,
UH, MY DEEP PERSONAL INTEREST IN SUICIDE PREVENTION
MIGHT ACTUALLY BE CALLED INVOLUNTARY.
UM, AS A RESULT OF A SUICIDE IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY
MANY YEARS AGO,
AS WELL AS MORE RECENTLY OF A CLOSE FRIEND ON ACTIVE DUTY
WHEN HE WAS HOME ON LEAVE,
I'M ONE OF FAR TOO MANY PEOPLE
WHO HAVE INVESTED COUNTLESS HOURS STUDYING STATISTICS,
UH, TRYING TO CREATE LOGIC AND MEANING
WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE TO BE FOUND,
AND STILL ASKING WHY, UH, AND WHAT IF.
UM, THE PAIN OF SURVIVORS ATTENUATES WITH TIME
BUT NEVER ENTIRELY DISAPPEARS,
AND I THINK IT IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT YET FOR PARENTS,
SO MY ADMIRATION FOR HOWARD AND JEAN SOMERS
AND FOR CLAY HUNT'S PARENTS,
UH, AND SO MANY OTHERS
WITH THE COURAGE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES IS BOUNDLESS.
UH, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]
YOU KNOW, DR. SHULKIN SAID THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO INSPIRE,
AND IT'S AN INCREDIBLE GIFT.
UM, I'M VERY PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY WITH BOB TURNER,
MY CO-CHAIR FOR THE SUICIDE ACTION ALLIANCE.
UM, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP LAUNCHED IN 2010,
LAUNCHED ON THE DECEPTIVELY SIMPLE,
BUT, UH, ACTUALLY RATHER AUDACIOUS, IDEA
THAT TOGETHER WE'RE FAR MORE POWERFUL
THAN WORKING IN ISOLATION,
AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE DORYN CHERVIN,
WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
COULD YOU JUST STAND UP SO PEOPLE CAN SEE YOU?
[APPLAUSE]
SO THE ALLIANCE FUNCTIONS AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION,
RECOGNIZING THAT SO MANY FACTORS
INFLUENCE THE IDENTIFICATION AND DEPLOYMENT
OF EFFECTIVE PREVENTION STRATEGIES,
FROM CULTURE TO RELIGION TO EDUCATION,
UH, TO BRANCH OF MILITARY SERVICE
AND MANY OTHER FACTORS.
UH, TOGETHER, OUR SHARED GOAL IS ZERO DEATHS FROM SUICIDE,
PARTICULARLY GIVEN WHAT WE'VE LEARNED RECENTLY
ABOUT PREVENTION,
BOTH FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE,
AS WELL AS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.
UM, WORKING WITH THE ALLIANCE,
I SEE IT AS A VITAL COMPLEMENT
TO THE VERY IMPORTANT WORK DONE AT VA,
BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR VETERANS
DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.
WE CAN'T EVER FORGET, THOUGH, THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE,
THE ACT OF SUICIDE, UM, IS SHAMEFUL OR FORBIDDEN,
WHICH IS A PRETTY POWERFUL BARRIER
TO REACHING THOSE AT RISK.
FOR THE TWO PEOPLE WHOSE DEATHS HAD THE BIG IMPACT ON ME,
UM, THE IMPACT OF DEATH
RECEIVED CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION, GRIEVING,
DISCUSSION, AND SO FORTH,
BUT THERE WAS NO OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THEY DIED
THAT WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS A PHYSICIAN
WITH CLOSE COLLEAGUES IN MENTAL HEALTH
AND WORKING SOME DISTANCE FROM MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY,
I WAS FAR MORE FORTUNATE IN BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT,
AND IT MADE A HUGE, HUGE DIFFERENCE,
SO I WORRY A LOT THAT MANY PEOPLE
ARE EFFECTIVELY DEPRIVED OF THAT.
UM, AWARENESS EFFORTS SPONSORED BY THE ALLIANCE,
AS WELL AS PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHURCHES
AND MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
SHAPED BY THE SPECIFIC CONTEXT OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES,
CAN HELP MITIGATE THAT BARRIER,
BUT WE CAN'T REALLY EVER FORGET
THAT FOR MANY PEOPLE, MORE THAN WE KNOW,
SUICIDE REMAINS UNMENTIONABLE.
IN FACT, I WAS QUITE STRUCK BY A RECENT ARTICLE
IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
THAT MENTIONED THE SAME UNIT THAT CLAY HUNT SERVED IN,
UH, WHERE A VETERAN WHO TOOK HIS OWN LIFE
HAD EARLIER REFERRED TO THAT PATH
AS COWARDLY AND SHAMEFUL AND A BAD THING TO DO,
UM, AND THAT, AGAIN, REMAINS A FORMIDABLE, UH, OBSTACLE
TO, UM, EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND SO FORTH,
AS WELL AS A HUGE OBSTACLE
TO, UH, PROVIDING COMFORT AND SOLACE
TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, LEFT BEHIND.
SO...THERE YOU ARE, JACKIE,
AND, UH, TOM BERGER, I KNOW, IS SITTING RIGHT OVER THERE.
UH, SO IN RESPONSE TO YOUR CHALLENGE, WE'RE IN.
UH, AS IT HAPPENS, WE'VE--
[APPLAUSE]
WE'VE ORGANIZED A MEETING FOR LATER THIS MONTH.
IT WAS ON THE BOOKS ANYWAY, BUT THAT'S, UM--
WE DO BELIEVE THAT THE OUTPUT OF THIS SUMMIT
WILL BE A VERY POWERFUL ACCELERANT
AND A STIMULUS FOR THAT MEETING,
AND, UH, SO WE'LL BE KEEPING IN TOUCH HERE,
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK SEPTEMBER IS ANY TIME TOO SOON.
I AM LEAVING THE DATA ISSUES WITH THE NATIONAL DEATH INDEX
TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE CDC.
I ALSO WANTED TO CLOSE ON A POSITIVE STORY.
UM, I HAVE A COUSIN WHOSE SON SERVED IN IRAQ FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
HE WOULD NEVER EVER DISCUSS ANY SPECIFICS
ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES,
ALTHOUGH, SEEMED IN A GENERALIZED WAY,
BUT NOT TERRIBLY VERBAL,
UH, TO NOT BE LOVING IT
AND TO BE HAVING SOME DISCOMFORT THERE.
UM, AND THEN HE WAS DISCHARGED,
AND I THINK HE HIT ABOUT EVERY ROAD BUMP YOU CAN IMAGINE
TRANSITIONING BACK TO CIVILIAN LIFE.
UM, HE DID GET, UH, SOME MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
ORDERED BY THE COURT,
AND IT'S FAIR TO SAY
HE HAD A LOT OF STRIKES AGAINST HIM GROWING UP,
UH, PRIOR TO ENLISTING,
BUT HE MADE IT.
IT'S GREAT.
HE'S, UH, GOT A GOOD JOB, HE'S ON A GREAT PATH,
HE'S GOT A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER,
AND THE QUESTION IS: IS THIS LUCK?
IS IT SOME KIND OF RESILIENCE THAT WE DON'T YET
KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY?
UM, IS IT DIVINE INTERVENTION?
MANY OF MY FAMILY WOULD BELIEVE THAT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW,
AND ON BEHALF OF OUR VETERANS WE HEARD FROM EARLIER
WHOSE STORIES WERE SO POWERFUL,
WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW: DOES IS LAST?
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT IMMENSE OPPORTUNITIES
TO CONTINUE LEARNING.
AND WITH THAT, I AM VERY HAPPY TO TURN OVER THE MICROPHONE
TO MY CO-CHAIR BOB TURNER.
[APPLAUSE]
TURNER: THANK YOU, CAROLYN.
I'M NOT GOING TO STAND AT THE PODIUM
FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
ONE, WHEN I TALK, I TEND TO DO THIS,
AND YOU'RE ALL TOO TIRED
TO HEAR ME HIT THAT MICROPHONE AT ABOUT 80 MILES AN HOUR
AND BUMP THE SOUND SYSTEM.
AND SECONDLY, LIKE MANY OF YOU,
I'VE BEEN SITTING IN A CHAIR HERE MOST OF THE DAY,
AND I'M A LITTLE BIT BEHIND ON MY FITBIT COUNT,
SO I'M COUNTING ON GETTING A FEW EXTRA STEPS
AS I PACE BACK AND FORTH HERE.
IT'S A REAL--YEAH, YOU'RE UP IN DANGER ZONE--
RED ZONE, THEY CALL IT IN MARYLAND.
FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, PRIOR TO RETIRING LAST FALL,
I WAS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD,
AND WE'RE A COMPANY THAT IS AS VETERAN-FRIENDLY
AND MILITARY-FRIENDLY, I THINK, AS ANYONE.
IN FACT, YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM EIGHTH GRADE HISTORY
THAT PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN
SIGNED THE PACIFIC RAILWAY ACT OF 1862,
WHICH CREATED UNION PACIFIC
AND CHARGED US WITH BUILDING
THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD,
AND AT THE TIME, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.
IN FACT, WHEN IT WAS COMPLETED,
IT CUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK
TO GET FROM NEW YORK TO SAN FRANCISCO
FROM 6 MONTHS TO 10 DAYS,
SO IT WAS TRANSFORMATIONAL IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
WELL, AS I SAID, HE SIGNED THE BILL IN 1862.
THERE WAS A LOT OF FINANCIAL SHENANIGANS
AND MESSING AROUND IN THE MEANTIME,
SO IT TOOK HIM A FEW YEARS TO GET STARTED,
BUT IT STARTED AT ABOUT THE TIME THE CIVIL WAR ENDED,
AND THE WORKFORCE THAT CAME TO WORK FOR UNION PACIFIC
TO BUILD THAT FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD,
A FEAT THAT STEPHEN AMBROSE THE AUTHOR SAID
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD,
WERE REALLY ALL VETERANS,
AND, IN FACT, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT ICONIC PHOTO
OF THE TWO LOCOMOTIVES TOGETHER,
DRIVING THE GOLDEN SPIKE IN PROMONTORY, UTAH,
THOSE ARE ALL VETERANS.
VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY IN THAT PHOTO IS A VETERAN
WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THAT COMPANY,
SO WE'VE REALLY GROWN UP OVER THE YEARS WITH A LOT VETERANS,
AND, IN FACT, TODAY, OF OUR 48,000 EMPLOYEES,
25% OF THEM ARE VETERANS,
AND ALMOST 1/3 OF THE PEOPLE
WE'VE HIRED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS,
WHICH IS ALMOST 30,000 PEOPLE,
UH, CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE MILITARY,
SO IT'S A VERY POWERFUL CONNECTION
THAT THAT COMPANY HAS WITH IT,
SO EVEN THOUGH I'M RETIRED,
I'M REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF UNION PACIFIC,
BUT ALSO PROUD TO BE HERE,
UH, AND PROUD TO HAVE THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION,
THE VA, PART OF THE ACTION ALLIANCE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION.
MY PERSONAL PATH TO-- IN DIFFERENCE TO CAROLYN--
I'M NOT GETTING MANY STEPS HERE, AM I?
THE, UM--MY PERSONAL PATH TO THE ACTION ALLIANCE CAME,
UH, WHEN IT WAS BEING PUT TOGETHER,
AND SENATOR GORDON SMITH AT THE TIME
WAS PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS,
WAS THE PRIVATE SECTOR CO-CHAIR,
AND HE KNEW THAT SUICIDE BY TRAIN
IS AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY.
IN FACT, IT'S MORE THAN ONE A DAY,
PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY A TRAIN.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH VEHICLES.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS STANDING OR ROLLING OR SITTING
IN FRONT OF A TRAIN
AND BEING KILLED BY A TRAIN.
SO IT'S AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM,
AND IT'S A PROBLEM-- IT'S AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM,
BECAUSE WHEN AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS,
THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION, WE LOSE THROUGHPUT,
PASSENGER--I MEAN, CUSTOMER SERVICE SUFFERS.
THERE'S A COST TO THAT.
IT'S VERY TRAUMATIC FOR OUR CREWS.
A FREIGHT TRAIN TODAY HAS TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAB,
AND THEY CAN GO FASTER OR SLOWER, BUT THEY CAN'T STEER,
AND WHILE A TRAIN IS THE ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
THAT CAN STOP IN ITS OWN LENGTH, THAT'S A MILE.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE STRESS ON OUR EMPLOYEES
WHEN SOMEONE IS STANDING ON THE TRACK,
SOMETIMES LOOKING RIGHT AT THEM,
AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS HIT THE BRAKES,
WHICH LOCK UP ALL THE WHEELS,
KNOWING THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP.
AND SO THERE'S A REAL PROBLEM FOR OUR WORKFORCE,
FOR OUR CUSTOMERS, AND A FINANCIAL COST.
AND SO WHEN SENATOR SMITH
WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE FROM THE RAILROAD,
THE 92 GUYS AHEAD OF ME IN LINE ALL DEFERRED,
AND I BECAME THE, UH-- THE RAIL REPRESENTATIVE,
AND CANDIDLY, IT WAS A-- MY TURN TO TAKE ONE.
I DID IT TO START UP
BECAUSE I HAD BEEN BLESSED WITH HAVING NO SUICIDE EXPERIENCE
IN MY FAMILY OR REALLY ANYONE I--I KNEW.
I KNEW OF PEOPLE,
BUT REALLY, UH, CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY CAROLYN TALKED
AND OTHERS HAVE TALKED TODAY.
SO I WENT INTO IT AS A WILLING PARTICIPANT, MOSTLY,
AND--BUT NOT PARTICULARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT,
AND I'VE BEEN REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW INTERESTED IN IT
I'VE BECOME OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS
AS I'VE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE WORK
THAT MANY IN THIS ROOM ARE DOING AND THAT OTHERS ARE DOING
TO TRY TO GET OUR COUNTRY'S ARMS AROUND
AND OUR PRIORITIES SET TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT WHAT IS THE EIGHTH- OR NINTH-LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT REALLY, UH, AS I SAID, HAS BEEN SURPRISING,
AND PART OF THAT, UM, HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING,
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE DATA
THAT'S FINALLY STARTING TO GET RELEVANT,
ALTHOUGH THE CALLS FOR DATA THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY
ARE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT.
DATA'S FINALLY GETTING TO THE POINT OF ACTIONABLE.
LITTLE PROJECTS HERE AND THERE,
THE HENRY FORD CENTER IN DETROIT AND OTHER PLACES
HAVE DONE THINGS AROUND ZERO SUICIDE,
THEY HAVE LOWERED THE RATE,
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE STARTING TO WORK,
AND SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO TAKE THESE THINGS AND BRING THEM TOGETHER
AND REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN SOLVING THIS REALLY HORRIBLE PROBLEM,
AND WHETHER IT'S A VETERAN OR WHETHER IT'S NOT A VETERAN,
UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE AFFECTED
BY EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS,
AND IT BECOMES A PROBLEM THAT I THINK YOU CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AT
IN THE CORPORATE-EMPLOYEE RELATION SENSE, AS WELL,
AND LET ME EXPLAIN MY THINKING ON THIS.
ONE, BIG COMPANIES, WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM OR NOT,
TEND TO ACT IN THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST,
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HIGH COST
OF FINDING TALENT, GOOD EMPLOYEES,
AND TRAINING THEM AND KEEPING THEM
AND KEEPING THEM ENGAGED,
IT'S AN ENORMOUS CHALLENGE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY EMPLOYER,
LARGE OR SMALL.
WELL, TO LOSE EMPLOYEES TO SUICIDE, AS WE ALL DO,
IS A COST.
IT'S A PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE THINGS
THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY CAN DO,
LARGE CORPORATIONS IN PARTICULAR,
TO LOWER THE RATE, TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR WORKFORCE,
THEY'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO DO IT IN THEIR OWN SELF-INTEREST.
WE HEARD THIS MORNING ABOUT THE NEED FOR--
OF THE CALL FOR A CULTURAL CHANGE AROUND SUICIDE.
I THINK ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES THE PRIVATE SECTOR
CAN BRING TO THIS CAUSE IS THAT ONCE IT BECOMES IDENTIFIED
AS GOOD FOR YOU, GOOD FOR ME,
IT'LL BE SELF-FUNDING.
THINK ABOUT THE CULTURAL CHANGE THAT'S GONE ON
IN THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO, 40 YEARS,
WITH SMOKING IN THE WORKPLACE.
I CAN REMEMBER--MOST OF YOU DON'T LOOK THAT OLD--
BUT I CAN REMEMBER WHEN EVERYBODY
HAD AN ASHTRAY ON THEIR DESK,
AND THEN WE SORT OF EVOLVED
TO, WELL, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SMOKING SECTIONS ON FLOORS,
AND THEN WE KIND OF EVOLVED TO, WELL, MAYBE A SMOKING ROOM,
AND THEN PRETTY SOON IT WAS NO SMOKING ON THE PROPERTY,
AND IT'S NOT JUST IN OFFICE BUILDINGS.
IN OUR CASE, IF YOU'RE A--A MECHANIC,
AND YOU'RE WORKING AT A RAIL YARD
IN NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA,
AND YOU WANT TO TAKE A SMOKER'S BREAK,
AND BY CONTRACT, YOU GET 15 MINUTES,
IT TAKES YOU 10 MINUTES TO WALK TO THE PROPERTY LINE,
SO YOU AREN'T GOING TO DO MUCH SMOKING ON THAT JOB,
SO THE EFFORTS THAT CORPORATIONS
HAVE PUT AROUND SMOKING CESSATION
SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC POLICY
HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE HEALTH CARE COSTS OF COMPANIES.
WELL, I WOULD ARGUE THAT WHETHER IT'S SMOKING,
WHETHER IT'S OBESITY,
WHETHER IT'S GENERAL LIFESTYLE CONSIDERATIONS,
AND I HOPE, IF IT'S SUICIDE,
WE CAN FIND A WAY TO GET THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY
TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT,
TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS EFFORT,
SO THAT A FEW YEARS FROM NOW,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THE CULTURE HAS CHANGED
SO THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT SUICIDE,
PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH,
AS THOUGH IT'S A--SOMEONE SAID IT'S AN ORGAN IN YOUR BODY
THAT OCCASIONALLY GETS SICK--
LET'S DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM, LET'S GET IT FIXED.
I THINK THAT HAPPENS,
AND SO I THINK THE POWER OF THE ACTION ALLIANCE
CAN BE THAT WE TAKE KIND OF THE CORE INFRASTRUCTURE,
WHICH I THINK IS THE PUBLIC'S ROLE TO SUPPORT--
AND IT'S NOT MUCH, I MEAN, IT'S A FEW MILLION DOLLARS--
IT CAN CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT GIVES US THE CAPABILITY
TO ENLIST THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN MAKING THE CULTURAL CHANGE
AND THE POLICY CHANGES WE NEED
TO HELP REALLY GET AT THIS HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE CAUSE OF DEATH,
UM, FAR MORE QUICKLY THAN YOU MIGHT THINK OTHERWISE.
SO I'M ENGAGED, I AGREE WITH MY CO-CHAIR THAT, UM--
I'M SITTING HERE.
I'VE PAID ATTENTION FORTUNATELY,
SO I DIDN'T GET STARTLED TOO MUCH
WHEN YOU SAID YOU REALLY COUNTED ON THE ALLIANCE.
WE'LL TAKE ON THIS TO BE THE CHAMPION OF THIS.
I THINK THAT'S OUR ROLE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE CAN BRING TO THE TABLE...
WITH ONE CAVEAT,
AND THE CAVEAT IS ALL OF YOU ARE PART OF THIS,
AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOUR HELP,
WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOUR SUPPORT,
WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOU WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH US
TO MAKE IT REALITY, TO SPEED IT UP,
AND TO MAKE IT SOMETHING
THAT WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED,
UH, IN JUST NOT VERY MANY YEARS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[APPLAUSE]