title: Which life?
abstract: "Saving a life" is a credible definition of heroism in the United States. However, the pervasive societal impression of immediate gratification has led to a widespread recognition of "life saving" only in circumstances of immediate danger. The lengthening national life expectancy is not accorded respect as an accomplishment in and of itself. Families of dying, elderly persons still mistake the "loss" by failing to appreciate the many times this life has been saved and esteeming the accomplishment that death at a later age poses. Public health and preventive medicine both suffer general disregard for this shortsighted perspective, from the public and those who determine federal funding priorities. This narrative expounds on this frustration and describes its implication for the future of public health as it is currently practiced in this nation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: V Faye
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aldrich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008017:Life Expectancy; D015980:Public Health Practice; D018635:Rescue Work; D012945:Social Values; D014481:United States; D026712:Value of Life