Dr. Steven Woolf
ON THE RECORD · 8 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“Children are less likely to survive to adulthood, and young adults are less likely to reach middle age than they were in the past,”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf noted that children and young adults in the US are less likely to survive to older ages than they were in the past.
“The systemic issues affecting the health of Americans are still claiming lives,”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf said a record-high life expectancy rate would be encouraging but not satisfying.
“Mortality rates are a good starting point for getting a snapshot for what our health situation looks like,”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf said mortality rates are a good starting point for understanding the health situation.
“We saw an alarming increase in deaths from in young and middle-aged Americans that was not experienced in other high-income countries, and that basically offset the progress that was being made in lowering death rates for older Americans,”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf described an alarming increase in deaths among young and middle-aged Americans that offset progress in lowering death rates for older Americans.
“Most of those problems that were responsible for the flatlining have not been resolved, and they’re continuing to claim lives.”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf said most of the problems responsible for the flatlining of US mortality rates have not been resolved.
“There’s a lot of policy choices that affect these death rates.”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf stated that policy choices affect death rates.
“A lot of the reasons why Americans die at higher rates from these diseases than people in other countries is the conditions they’re living in, and those are shaped by public policy,”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf attributed higher American death rates from diseases to living conditions shaped by public policy.
“I’ll hasten to emphasize that there’s more to health than mortality. It’s not just how long we live, it’s the quality of our life.”
Dr. Steven Woolf · said date not stated · reported 2026-07-02
Woolf emphasized that health involves more than mortality, including the quality of life.