Following their recently published guest essay in The Cleveland Plain Dealer Op-Ed, “How music and the arts can reconnect an America in crisis” Giraldo and MacPherson argue that America’s loneliness crisis—now widely recognized as a growing public health threat—demands urgent federal attention, with music and the arts positioned as scalable, community-based solutions to rebuild connection.
To learn more about Come Together and how to get involved, visit:
Andrew MacPherson is Founding Principal and Managing Partner at Healthsperien, LLC, the nationally-recognized health care data analytics, policy, and government affairs consulting firm he co-founded in 2013. Andrew brings over 20 years of expertise and experience in federal and state health care policy and politics to his leadership role at the firm and co leads a team of over 50 experts focused on health care data analytics and research, strategic policy development and federal advocacy efforts for a wide array of clients, including Fortune 100 companies, national health plans, professional associations, issue based coalitions, health care innovators and start-ups, and national not-for-profit organizations. Andrew is a recognized expert and has a special emphasis on issues such as the public epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, value-based payment strategies and value based insurance design (V-BID), and improving advanced illness and end-of-life care delivery. He is also deeply engaged in crafting innovative policy solutions for state employee and retiree health plans. A sought-after speaker on national health policy and political issues, Andrew regularly presents at a range of national health care convenings and his insights have been featured in leading media outlets such CBS Evening News, The Washington Post, Health Affairs, NPR, InsideHealthPolicy, and more. In 2026, Andrew was named in the top 50 global thought leaders on the issue of loneliness. Before co-founding Healthsperien in 2013, Andrew served as Director of Government Affairs at Jennings Policy Strategies, Inc., a nationally-recognized health policy and government affairs consulting firm founded and led by Chris Jennings, Former Deputy Assistant for Health to President Clinton and later President Obama. At JPS, Inc., Andrew focused on a range of high-profile health care policy initiatives, including the Obama and Clinton presidential campaigns, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s health reform efforts with former Majority Leaders Baker, Daschle, Dole, and Mitchell, and the Clinton Global Initiative while advising a wide-range of clients on federal policy, political, and communications strategies. Earlier in his career, Andrew held advisory positions with the American Psychiatric Association, Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and the Democratic Governors’ Association. Originally from Vermont, Andrew earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from The George Washington University in 2005.
Link to the website page
https://www.endsocialisolation.org/cometogether/
Podcast with Andrew MacPherson and Neil Goraldo
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=LPr2wLcb9BU
Meals on Wheels activation
Cleveland Plain Dealer OpEd
Come Together Article in Music Connection