<P>Morris Green states that “good clinical medicine is always highly personal.” From this perspective, it is understood that the relationship between a health professional and a child, adolescent, young adult, and/or family is founded on trust, is reciprocal, is genuine, and is vital if it is to reach its potential. The Bright Futures Health Promotion Workgroup, created in the 1990s under the auspices of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, conceptualized core principles of a health promotion curriculum built on the premise articulated by Dr. Green. Six concepts were described that were seen as the underpinnings of a strong, longitudinal, patient–clinician relationship: partnership with families; effective and respectful communication; education of families through teachable moments; advocacy for children, families, and communities; time efficiency to maximize the contributions of the patient, family and clinician; and all embedded in a system that substantively promotes health and prevention of disease. These six concepts were anchored by the broad definition of health encompassing much more than the absence of disease as per the World Health Organization (WHO) definition. This strategy implicitly invoked a strength-based approach to the child and family and not simply a disease-oriented model.</P><H4>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</H4><P>Danielle Laraque, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.</P><P>Address correspondence to: Danielle Laraque, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1198, New York, NY, 10029-6574; or e-mail <a href="mailto:danielle.laraque@mssm.edu">danielle.laraque@mssm.edu</a>.</P><P>Dr. Laraque has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.</P><H4>EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES</H4><OL><LI>Delineate six core concepts that are seen as the underpinnings of a strong, longitudinal patient-clinician relationship.</LI><LI>Discuss the clinician’s role in the use of each of the six core concepts in the setting of daily practice.</LI><LI>Provide examples of how each of the six core concepts can be operationalized in the clinical setting.</LI></OL>