HHS Program Expands to Tackle Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled Healthy People 2020, which identifies the nation’s 10-year goals for promoting health and preventing disease.

This program, and its associated educational materials, can serve as a helpful resource to brokers and agents as they provide support to their clients.  While most insurance coverage is still geared to treating individuals when they get sick, identifying resources to promote a healthier lifestyle is an important goal for everyone, no matter what age or type of insurance coverage they have.     

“Too many people are not reaching their full potential for health because of preventable conditions,” said Assistant Secretary for Health Howard K. Koh, M.D., M.P.H.  “Healthy People is the nation’s roadmap and compass for better health, providing our society a vision for improving both the quantity and quality of life for all Americans.”

Healthy People has existed for three decades, working to improve the quality of the nation’s health by producing a framework for public health prevention priorities and actions.  The program’s administrators believe many of the risk factors that contribute to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes – which are responsible for seven out of 10 deaths among Americans – are preventable.

What’s New for 2020

The Healthy People program was developed with input from public health and prevention experts, a wide range of federal, state and local government officials, a consortium of more than 2,000 organizations, and the public.  Their feedback resulted in the inclusion of a number of new topics in the initiative that address:

• Adolescent health
• Blood disorders and blood safety
• Dementias, including Alzheimer’s
• Early and middle childhood
• Genomics
• Global health
• Health-related quality of life and well-being
• Health-associated infections
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health
• Older adults
• Preparedness
• Sleep health
• Social determinants of health

Brokers and agents will find helpful resources on the Healthy People website www.healthypeople.gov.  The website provides guidance to allow the user to tailor information to their needs and explore evidence-based resources for implementation.  For example, if you are looking for creative strategies to support your clients, you can find helpful topics and objectives to promote education and follow-up action at http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/default.aspx. 

Five Steps for Change

The Healthy People program is based on a five-step model called MAP-IT, which is designed to help professionals (both seasoned and new to the field) plan their “public health intervention.”  The five steps to MAP-IT implementation include Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement and Track.

• Mobilize -- Start by mobilizing key individuals and organizations into a coalition. Look for partners who have a stake in creating healthy communities and who will contribute to the process. Aim for broad representation.  Next, identify roles for partners and assign responsibilities.
  

• Assess – Assess both needs and assets (resources) in your community (this will help you get a sense of what you can do, versus what you would like to do).  Work together as a coalition to set priorities (what do community members and key stakeholders see as the most important issues?).  Consider feasibility, effectiveness, and measurability as you determine your priorities.  Start collecting state and local data to paint a realistic picture of community needs.
  

• Plan -- What is your goal? What do you need to do to reach your goal? Who will do it?  How will you know when you have reached your goal?
  

• Implement -- Create a detailed work plan that lays out concrete action steps, identifies who is responsible for completing them, and sets a timeline and/or deadlines.  Make sure all partners are on board with the work plan.  Consider identifying a single point of contact to manage the process and ensure that things get done.  Be sure to share responsibilities across coalition members.   Get the word out – develop a communication plan.
  

• Track -- Plan regular evaluations to measure and track your progress over time. Consider partnering with a local university or state center for health statistics to help with data tracking.

For More Information

In addition to the Healthy People website, you can also visit www.challenge.gov.  Both sites provide a host of resources and background information to assist healthcare professionals interested in implementing Healthy People 2020 objectives.