He had a patient who had spent months going to the ER, having tests, and taking medications for a collection of symptoms. He asked her about where she lived. 

"Is there mold? Is there standing water? Do you have access to fresh air?" It turned out she lived in a poor section of Los Angeles and was suffering from the effects of her apartment. He connected her with social services that could address the causes. Months later her health had improved dramatically. 

Thirty years ago I had debilitating asthma, and sat slumped in a chair for the better part of a winter. John was distraught trying to solve it. I went to doctors, but found no solutions. My sister in law flew down to care for my kids because, well, I couldn't. Then somehow John identified the moldy mattress we were sleeping on as the culprit. He chucked it and bought us a king sized waterbed, which we still sleep on. Amazingly, I could breath again. 

The woman who pioneered the words Marriage Education spoke passionately about working upstream. Diane Sollee believes that supporting couples long before troubles get a foothold is a better use of our efforts. She is a champion for relationship education in middle school and high school, mentoring, PREP and PREPARE. Although it would be hard to measure, I believe she has changed the trajectory of marriage work in this country. Rather than pulling marriages out of the river, or throwing together rafts that cobble families back together after near drowning, she is an advocate for prevention. 

I think she is on to something.