California Surgeon General Embarks on Statewide Listening Tour

On Tuesday, California Surgeon General Nadine Burke Harris launched a statewide listening tour to raise awareness about the connections between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and serious health conditions. In her first appearance at the Fruit Ridge Community Collaborative in Sacramento, Burke Harris discussed her priorities as California’s first state surgeon general, including raising awareness and educating residents about ACEs, such as emotional abuse or domestic violence, and its nexus with major chronic health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.

Burke Harris engaged with community leaders, including those from First 5 Sacramento, educators, service providers, and residents, to discuss the community’s health-related priorities and challenges and to underscore the importance of early interventions in improving health and wellbeing outcomes. To better learn about and listen to the unique challenges facing communities in various regions throughout the state, the surgeon general’s listening tour will include stops in Alameda, Butte, Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties.

The listening tour, according to Burke Harris, will bring together stakeholders, residents, and community leaders to determine strategies for addressing root causes of serious health conditions and health disparities, as well as how the Office of the Surgeon General can support communities in prevention and treatment activities. The press release from the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) is available here.