INTEGRATING PRIMARY CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH/SCUTCHFIELD ET AL. RESPOND

In the present economic climate, it has become apparent that the integration of population dynamics into government policies is indispensable to harness the potential of populations, for instance, as relates to the labor market, natural resource use, and social security programs.2 Even so, public and private sectors are starting to reorganize themselves following the principles of the circular economy. 3 One of these principles is shifting the focus to the upstream of problems. Correspondence should be sent to J. Lloyd Michener,MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Box 2914 DUMC, Durham, NC 27710 (e-mail: miche001@mc.duke.edu).