At TEDMED 2015, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation facilitated discussions focusing on 'making health a shared value,' gathering insights from over 800 delegates and 150 online contributors across various sectors. Ten key themes emerged from the conversations, addressing the intersection of community, technology, policy, and the economy in shaping health perceptions and outcomes. Participants emphasized the need for better alignment between the business of health and public wellbeing, highlighting issues like healthwashing, the role of community, and the importance of a cohesive narrative around health.

1. OVERHEARD
AT TEDMED 201510 Themes on Making Health a Shared Value

2. What is masquerading as health?
When was the last time you impacted
someone’s health?
How did someone recently impact
your health?
How is technology advancing or
inhibiting health as a shared value?
Name one small shift that would make
the biggest impact on health.
How does your community impact
your health?
How can business positively impact
society’s health?
How does your culture view or treat heath?
How can government play a role
in improving society’s health?
What is the secret to making health
a shared value?
At TEDMED 2015, the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation engaged Delegates in
a conversation around “Making Health a
Shared Value” as part of the Foundation’s
ongoing effort to build a culture of health
in America.
They posed a series of questions on-site and online,
asking the TEDMED community to reflect on the role
of health in their lives and their communities:

3. THE PARTICIPANTS
More than 800 delegates contributed on-site, and over 150
community members contributed online.
Voices included:
Healthcare providers
Government officials
Non-profit leaders
Academics & educators
Hospital administrators
Health IT experts
Public health professionals
Scientific researchers
Journalists and bloggers
Health advocates
Entrepreneurs
Industry leaders

4. 10 THEMES
Delegates and the broader TEDMED community
shared over 1,000 responses, telling a story of how
they see health as a shared value in America.
10 themes emerged:
1. Healthwashing is the new greenwashing.
2. The “business of health” should align with the
“culture of health.”
3. Community is not obvious.
4. We’re playing a personal vs. public tug of war.
5. We know the what, but not the how.
6. What is health anyway?
7. In tech we trust (too much?)
8. People are the secret sauce.
9. Are we ready to take on policy & systems?
10. It’s the economy, stupid.

5. When asked “what is masquerading as health?”
Delegates offered up consumer goods, exercise
movements and health fads. Commercial entities
gain as consumers buy into this new “silver
bullet,” but public health remains unchanged.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Fancy juice as the newest fad
Natural does not necessarily equal healthy
Low-fat everything
Counting steps as a measure of health
#crossfit #paleo #madness
1. HEALTHWASHING IS THE
NEW GREENWASHING
Consumers still buy into “the silver bullet.”

6. Many of the responses pointed to problems
with our current healthcare system, indicating
a deep divide between business and wellness.
What would it take to align these forces?
Overheard at TEDMED:
Taking care of the sick instead of helping with
preventative care and wellness
We must put prevention before drugs
A mask that corporations have crafted to take
fearful public for a ride. No doubt corporates will
be richer!
Focus on physical health instead of holistic
2. THE “BUSINESS OF HEALTH”
SHOULD ALIGN WITH
THE “CULTURE OF HEALTH.”
Can a capitalist society be a healthy society?

7. When asked how community impacts health,
responses overwhelmingly reflected physical
places, like neighborhoods or work environments.
Noticeably absent were religious or cultural
affiliations and digital communities.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Nicer and safer neighborhoods mean easier to stay
active, outdoors, and healthy
Working in a hospital, I’m aware of infection and
exposed to more germs
Access to good food, security, services, and
transportation
What’s important: schools, places to play, trees
& plants (some edible)
3. COMMUNITY IS
NOT OBVIOUS.
We don’t think beyond the place we live.

8. In many responses, public health seemed to be
at odds with individual liberty. While Delegates
want the best for society, citizens often prioritize
the best for their families and selves.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Single payer system!
Recognize that health affects everyone
As medicine becomes more specialized, it is crucial
to maintain a “big picture” approach
Inhibiting health through navel-gazing
Make organ, eye, tissue donation opt-out instead
of opt-in
Ensure no child has access to a firearm
4. IT’S A PERSONAL VS.
PUBLIC TUG OF WAR.
Who takes priority—the person or the people?

9. Delegates often suggested the end goal. Now,
how do we get there? Some of the best ideas
for building a culture of health imply disrupting
established norms and the system at large.
Overheard at TEDMED:
We need to change health insurance so it covers
the whole person—teeth, eyes, health, and mental
Paying for quality and value, not volume
Break down silos across government agencies:
housing, transportation, labor
Incentivizing wellness, making healthy choices the
affordable obvious option
5. WE KNOW THE WHAT,
BUT NOT THE HOW.
Does building require breaking?

10. Health is broadly defined, based on a cultural
point of view or individual’s background. In
the absence of a cohesive culture, it’s difficult
to envision a cohesive narrative on health.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Health is not a condition of living, it’s a condition
to treat
Health = fitting into your best skinny jeans
Pay attention to what your body is telling you
Healthy means eating enough
My culture believes that chicken soup cures all
6. WHAT IS HEALTH
ANYWAYS?
Different strokes for different folks.

11. Technology is heralded as the panacea for our
broken healthcare system. While Delegates love
their gadgets, they’re coming to terms with tech’s
constraints and unintended consequences.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Instagram fitness models masquerade as health
We’re offering tech as the answer, but missing
common sense
Tech is not yet serving as a problem solving tool
To reap the benefits of technology, we need
to add a human connection
7. IN TECH WE TRUST
(TOO MUCH?)
Technology is not the cure-all.

12. “Education and communication” are the common
refrain by experts, but this requires a human
connection. In order to build a cohesive culture
of health, the narrative must be built through
trusted relationships.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Business should educate employees around drugs
and disease
How about instilling in our youth the importance
of staying healthy?
Impacting the health of others by sharing health
concerns with friends
The secret is more compassion
8. PEOPLE ARE THE
“SECRET SAUCE.”
Start with a human connection.

13. Real change requires policy and investment, and
many Delegates explicitly called on government
to incentivize better behavior and mitigate
the negative outcomes of the current system.
Overheard at TEDMED:
We need to overhaul the food system
Implement smoke-free protections
in government housing
Make companies pay for true cost
of their products/services
Controlling drug costs
#LabelUSAGMOs #LabelGMOs
9. ARE WE READY TO TACKLE
POLICY & SYSTEMS?
What is the role of government in creating a culture of health?

14. While the majority of Delegates come from
a privileged perspective, many of the
solutions offered pointed to economic status
as determinant of health.
Overheard at TEDMED:
Access to good food, transportation, security, services
Fair pay > help people save $ afford to make
healthy choices
Limit the production of unhealthy foods & enhance
access to healthy foods
Reduce income inequality
10. IT’S THE ECONOMY,
STUPID.
It all comes down to opportunity.

15. CONTRIBUTORS
Slide 9: “The U.S. Capitol Building—Washington DC” by Glyn Lowe Photoworks, flickr.com/photos/glynlowe,
adapted under the CC BY 2.0 license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0