2 minute read
Dear friend,
“When you start climbing, you know better than to spend your time looking down, because that’s not the way that you want to be going. You need to concentrate and focus on where you need to go.”
Words from my father that echoed in my mind as I scaled Chimney Rock in my native North Carolina. I was a teen just days into the outdoors and wilderness experience that is Outward Bound, questioning whether I had what it takes to complete the intensive program. For a moment on that mountain, I thought about looking down. But with my father’s wisdom as a guide, I set my sights high, persevered, and reached the top.
I recently shared that story and other anecdotes from my life on Stronger Together, a storytelling program hosted by our partners at the Primary Care Coalition. Afterward, I reflected on that defining experience on Chimney Rock. I was moved by how my father’s words seemed to arrive right when I needed them, reminding me that CCI’s work embodies the same spirit as we empower our neighbors through a care delivery that provides just in time.
Providing what is needed when it’s needed is evident throughout the pages of this edition of Purpose. We jump right in by detailing the latest program updates, all of which will positively impact the health of tens of thousands of patients in the next year. We then bring attention to the lack of gender-affirming care in Montgomery County and our response to the shortage. We’ll introduce a new campaign on sexual and reproductive health, update readers on our outreach efforts, and highlight our amazing scheduling team. Finally, we close with an insightful interview with our Dr. Maria Liza Kilby, CCI pediatrician for the past 22 years.
Everyone has their mountain to climb, but the one you and I trek together will lead to health equity in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. There’s nowhere for us to look but up. Thank you for taking this journey with me.
