The ADVENTISTS

"Some researchers shy away from looking at community, looking at spirituality. They try to measure those things quantitatively, to see if this is extending the lifespan. But with the Adventist population, we know that people who follow the dictates have a strong sense of community. They feel a strong spiritual belief. So we have to think that this could also factor into their longer lifespan."

Deborah Kotz, Senior Writer, US News and World Report

"For 24 hours - from midnight on Friday night until midnight on Saturday night - they enjoy what they call a sanctuary in time, where they focus on their God, they focus on their community. They have casserole potluck dinners, and then they tend of take nature walks. And the fact that they do this week after week, month after month, and year after year is powerful. It reduces stress, builds that social community, and provides exercise every single week. And we know that each of those is associated with longevity - associated with lower body-mass index, lower rates of heart disease, and lower rates of cancer."

Dan Buettner, author, The Blues Zones

"That brings us back to the importance of community. A community that worships together and that makes being together and celebrating a common hope, a common faith, and that is drawn together by bonds of love can embrace of a variety of views. We don't need necessarily to demand of everyone exactly the same understanding of their faith. And I think that allows openness and understanding."

Richard Rice, Professor of Religion, Loma Linda University

"We have patients who are rehabbing from their joint replacement surgery. We have a walking or an activity program for our geriatric patients. And our physicians are in there as well. And so it's really become a community where everyone’s together. You may see little children doing a dance class, a mom who had surgery - everyone in there together experiencing that interaction, which really makes a difference."

Monica Reed, Chief Operating Officer, Celebration Health

"We have changed the way we do respiratory therapy. We've created the Respiratory Players. It is no longer just physically blowing a ball to build up lung strength. The Respiratory Players idea provides social and spiritual and mental opportunity. We bring folks in and teach them to play the harmonica. And as they learn to play the harmonica, they begin to play for the community, they begin to play for each other; they pray for each other as though they're in church; they live longer than expected."

Des Cummings, President, Florida Hospital Foundation