John Twardos, the president and CEO of statewide human services organization Lutheran Services of Iowa, is a seasoned traveler. While working with a Wisconsin company, he was often heading to places outside the U.S. The experiences made him appreciate the benefits of living in the U.S. He offered some food for thought during a recent conversation for a Closer Look feature.

“You would not go to these places on vacation. They are places off the grid, very rural, very impoverished areas. I saw things that made us very appreciative of how blessed we are here in the United States with our system of health care, although it’s not perfect. There are certain things that could be improved. … Our way of life. Our freedoms. You don’t realize what a large percentage of the life lives without.”