Health is defined as the condition of one's body and mind, meaning freedom from illness or negative thoughts. The author has generally been healthy but witnessed their grandmother's health deteriorate due to lung cancer. This experience made the author appreciate health and motivated them to pursue a career as a pharmacist to help others. A local pharmacist discussed in an interview how maintaining health requires personal responsibility and helps provide a better outlook. The Affordable Care Act aims to improve healthcare quality and accessibility in the US.

1. Health
Erin Kempton

2. Definition
To me, health is the condition of one’s body and their
mind. Being healthy means to be free from any
illness or any negative feelings or thoughts clouding
your mind.

3. Personal Connection
I’ve always been a really healthy person. By that, I
mean that I’ve never had any serious illness or
problems. I’ll get a cold once or twice a year, but
that’s usually it. I’m definitely lucky. Two years
ago, my grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer.
She was always so happy and full of life, but after
she got sick I could see her mind and body
deteriorating.

4. She was only in the hospital
for a few weeks before she had
passed away. I’ll never forget all the doctors
and nurses that were always with her trying to make her better
again.Seeing someone so close to me change because of poor
health made me realize how important it really is. After my
grandma died, I had a new understanding of health and I knew I
wanted to help people.

5. Health is definitely something
I used to take for granted, but now
I appreciate it more than ever. I learned
to free my mind from negativity bringing me
down, and I cut out foods and activities that
could be dangerous to my health. But more
than that, I set a new career goal. I want to be a
pharmacist so that I can help people
understand the medicine that they’re taking and
be a part of the process of them getting better.
It would make me so proud and happy to be a
part of that process.

6. Interview
For my interview, I thought it would be fitting to talk
to Mr. Troy Spaulding. He’s a pharmacist at
Swanton Rexall here in town.

7. Q: What does health mean to you?
A: Health is an important issue to me. It requires
people to be responsible and take care of
themselves by eating right, exercising and regular
check ups with their physicians. If people are in
good health they usually have a better outlook on
life

8. Q: How does health relate to your life?
A: Being a healthcare provider, health is very
important to me. We help people maintain their
overall health. We provide medication therapy for
patients dealing with acute and chronic health
issues. Helping patients improve their overall
health status is very rewarding.

9. Q: How do you think health relates to America
today? Is it something that needs to be
appreciated?
A: Good health is very important a lot of people
seem to take it for granted. Unfortunately the
health status of many Americans is not good. Too
much fast food and lack of exercise, drug and
alcohol abuse and many other factors threaten the
health of many people. I believe we could lower
healthcare costs if the general population took a
more proactive approach with matters regarding
their health.

10. Q: How do you think you've helped the community
in terms of health?
A: I feel like I try to help patients by working with
their physicians and provided the appropriate
medication therapies. It's very rewarding when the
results are positive or if changes to happen I can
be part of the health care solution and can make a
difference in a patient's overall health.

11. Affordable Care Act - ObamaCare
● The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into
law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.
● The overall goal of the ACA was to lower
health insurance costs and increase the quality
of healthcare in the US.

12. ● You can’t be denied insurance for a pre
existing condition
● Young adults are covered by their parents’
insurance until they are 26 years old
● Covers preventative measures free or at a
minimum copayment
● Protects your choice of a primary doctor
Overview

13. How does the ACA relate to health?
As stated earlier, President Obama created this law
with the hopes of increasing the overall quality of
healthcare and health among Americans. After this
law passed, it became required for all Americans to
have some form of health insurance.

14. I think a law passing that
requires health insurance really
shows how health is a value of America. In the
past, healthcare costs have been overwhelming for
some individuals, but with the health system
improving, it’ll be easier for people to get the care
that they need and deserve. Good health allows
Americans to be happier, live longer, and chase
their dreams.

15. People are more willing and
able to work harder in their
career, spend time with
family, or just go out and
have fun in general. Part of
the American dream is
being prosperous and
happy, and I believe that
can only be achieved when
a person is mentally and
physically healthy.

16. Conclusion...
Health is something I truly value. It’s not something
that can just be given to you. You have to take care of
yourself and make good choices. As Mr. Spaulding
explained in his interview, many Americans aren’t
healthy as a result of not exercising enough and
eating fast food. He hopes that a more public
awareness of health will change that. I believe that
with the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will start
taking care of themselves because it’ll become easier
and easier to get the proper health care that everyone
deserves.