“Stories are remembered up to 22 times more than facts alone.”
— Jennifer Aaker, Stanford Marketing Professor
At HASD&IC, we know the power of stories. Every day, our hospitals and community partners live out stories of resilience, healing, and compassion. These stories remind us why we do this work and why it matters so deeply for the patients and families we serve.
This month, during Hunger Awareness Month, we join with our community partners to raise awareness about a growing crisis — access to nutritious food. For some, food is a daily comfort and certainty. For others, it is a source of constant worry, sacrifice, and stress.
“Whenever there would be any … catastrophe that was in the movies or on the air, [my mother] would say, ‘Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers. … If you look for the helpers, you will know that there’s hope.”
— Fred Rogers
Yesterday marked the release of San Diego County’s 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Reflecting three years of thoughtful collaboration by hospitals and community partners, this report represents the voices of more than 1,600 community members who spoke candidly about their health, lives, and experiences with a system too often stretched thin.
