Good Morning and Happy New Year athletes,
Thank you for the honor of joining us this morning.
Ever the diligent teammate, Rachael approached me mid-fall ’24 to ask if I could set some goals for the upcoming year.
Rachael – thanks for the prompt.
1) In 2025, cook one new recipe a month (from one of the cookbooks my beautiful wife, Krissy, is threatening to throw out). This goal will lead me to be more creative, healthier, cheaper, and maybe a little less dangerous in the kitchen.
2) Pick something other than Gangnam Style on Karaoke Night in the Doctor’s Lounge (Tuesdays). It’s time to try something new; anything will do. The orthopedic surgeons are starting to make fun of me. I should try one of their Johnny Cash songs.
3) Stop referring to Krissy as my ‘beautiful’ wife in the Walk with a Doc newsletter. While it’s scientifically proven that she is 100% beautiful, inside and out, and you know you’re the luckiest man on Earth, keep that to yourself. There’s no need to broadcast it on Friday mornings.
4) While we’re on that, in 2025, probably best not to be so goofy in newsletters. You’re a cardiologist, maybe it’s about time you start acting like one.
How do you scientifically prove something/someone is beautiful? I’ve never heard of that.
Uh-oh. I’m sorry. That’s my cell – Just a second, please. I have to take this.
.
“Hey good morning, Rachael I was just talking about you”
“GET OUT!! Dr. Leana Wen did an opinion piece on WWAD in the Washington Post yesterday?! Dr. Wen is amazing. That’s so fun.
“So, unrelated. Rachael, when you asked me in October for a 2025 Vision newsletter, did you mean my personal goals or goals for Walk with a Doc?
“Wah Wa Wa Wah Wa Wa. Wah wa wah wa wah wa “
“HA! Of course, Rachael. Of course (forced laughing) I knew what you meant! Ha! Why in the world would anyone care about my personal goals? That would be nuts!”
…ahem…
2025 Walk with a Doc Organizational Vision and Goals
1. Start 200 new chapters in the U.S. and with our foreign teammates by 12/31/2025. This will allow us to continue to spread our 3 most important messages.
a) The Incredible Power of Physical Activity – something as simple as a walk can change our entire day. If we are able to do this in the morning, even better. Many of us are not going for walks, often because we feel we don’t have the time. But, we do. Even a short walk carries all the potential to absolutely change our day for the better. If we were to couple that with a healthy diet..
b) We all need Social Connection. This cannot be understated. There are two wonderful books we recommend. This one is by the incredible Jules Hotz. This one is by our phenomenal Surgeon General. There is more and more data every month sharing how significant a health predictor social connections are to all of us. Definitely more to come on that in ’25.
c) Being outside. Please know that anytime you are immersing yourself in nature you are doing yourself a favor. By the way, the National Park Service X account is super-funny.
2. Take every possible opportunity from our position to improve equity in healthcare.
This is my favorite explanation of this (from healthaffairs.org):
Equity in health care is when every person has the opportunity to attain their full potential of health; and no one is disadvantaged from attaining this potential due to their race/ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status, or geographical background.
3. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish
david
