Meeting the Community Where They Are: Why Prevention Starts With Relationship

February often brings attention to heart health. Statistics are shared. Campaigns are launched. Screenings are encouraged.

But prevention doesn’t begin with awareness alone. It begins with relationship.

This week, we will host our inaugural Heart Healthy Women’s Brunch — and what has stood out most to me is not just the program, but the response. With more than 50 women confirmed to attend, it is a reminder that communities want to engage. They want to understand their health. And they want to be seen.

Healthcare organizations often focus on services, access points, and clinical excellence. All of those matter. But impact grows when we take the time to meet people where they are — in spaces that feel accessible, conversational, and connected.

Prevention is deeply personal.

For many women, heart disease does not present the same way it does for men. Symptoms are different. Warning signs are subtle. Risks are often underestimated. That reality requires more than data. It requires dialogue.

Building trust in a community does not happen through announcements. It happens through presence. Through listening. Through creating environments where questions feel welcome and education feels empowering rather than overwhelming.

Events like this brunch are not just about awareness. They are about access — to information, to providers, to conversation.

If we want to improve outcomes, we must first build relationships.

As leaders, our responsibility extends beyond the walls of our organizations. It includes ensuring that our communities feel informed, supported, and invited into their own health journeys.

Heart Month is a reminder that prevention saves lives. But relationship is what makes prevention possible.

I look forward to gathering, listening, and learning this week — and to continuing the work of serving our community in ways that are intentional and accessible.