What we might accomplish by engaging in our local communities

OBJECTIVE: To describe the potential benefits of a clinician engaging in the same community in which her/his patients live. METHODS: Using a commentary format, the author describes the potential benefits of having clinicians engage in the same community in which her/his patients live. RESULTS: When we, clinicians, spend time in the same communities where our patients live, we have the opportunity to enhance our patients' lives and our teaching in three key ways. For one, we bring our medical expertise into the community. Secondly, we bring our expertise back to our practice and research inquiries. Finally, we teach trainees, who tend to be transient, about community assets and challenges. CONCLUSION: As we learn more about the importance of social determinants of health—describing how poverty, neighborhood, access to healthy food, and education, all play important roles in health—having an educator who can teach about the specific local community assets and influences on health may be as important as teaching which antibiotic to use. Academia and funders could increase this kind of knowledge acquisition and dissemination by rewarding and valuing these clinicians.