We have become the ones: The passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy

Poverty is the biggest risk factor for poor health: poor people live shorter lives, with more disease and disabilities, than the rest of us. So for those who are passionate about improving public health, the loss of Teddy Kennedy is a particularly great setback.

He was influential in passing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and raising the minimum wage, to name only three examples of laws that brought about big public health gains.

His compassion, tenacity, and joy, and his record of achievement, make him my hero.

With his passing, as Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg said in her eulogy, "we have become the ones who have to do all the things he would have done -- for us, for each other and for our country."

Read a blog post from last year aboutTeddy Kennedy’s final year.