Inaugural Episode, Recipe for Connection, Features Surgeon General in Conversation with Chef and Humanitarian José Andrés

House Calls is Now Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy launched the inaugural episode of his new podcast, House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy, featuring chef and humanitarian José Andrés. The Surgeon General’s podcast will highlight the vital need for people to build connections with one another, not just for individual health and wellbeing, but for our collective recovery as a nation. Guests on the House Calls with Vivek Murthy will include experts and thought leaders in their field who have found ways to forge deeper connections, showcase a human-centered view of public health, and build community and healing.

“Conversations have the power to heal. When I was growing up, my father would make ‘house calls,’ bringing medical care to patients at home. The relationships he built with his patients through conversation were an essential part of healing,” said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. “On House Calls, I carry forward this tradition. In each episode, I take my guests off-script to explore how they navigate the messiness and uncertainties of life to find meaning and joy. By sharing openly what’s on our minds and in our hearts, we can find strength and healing through connection.” 

In the inaugural episode of House Calls, the Surgeon General speaks with José Andrés, chef, humanitarian, and founder of World Central Kitchen. In a conversation anchored around food and family, Dr. Murthy and José Andrés dig deeper to discuss the ability to build connection and community through sharing food, the familial bonds forged and strengthened by creating meals with and for one another, and the global humanitarian work of feeding people who have experienced disasters.

In this episode, José Andrés discusses the inspiration behind his humanitarian work and the impact that it’s created in others: “You don't have to give people too much of a little flame to create a beautiful fire of empathy. People only want a glimpse of hope that something can be done for people to join that that burning fire of saying we're going to be part of the solution – I'm not going to stay behind... At the end, sincerely, America and the world is just full of wonderful people, full of empathy. They want to be in communities that work. They don't want to just be talking about the problems. They want to be part of the solutions.”

During his second tenure as America’s Doctor, the Surgeon General has been meeting with communities across the country to discuss the vital need to heal from the pandemic through social connection, highlighting that people must be able build powerful connections with one another in order to help us heal not only from COVID, but from the isolation that existed even before COVID.  

House Calls episodes will be 30–40-minute one-on-one conversations between the Surgeon General and thought leaders, experts, and researchers as his guests. The tone will be intimate and open, drawing from personal experiences. Episodes will be released on Wednesdays on a biweekly basis.

You can learn more about House Calls and watch episodes at surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls, or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.