Preventing Chronic Disease: The New Public Health

There is a national epidemic of chronic disease. Though it does not get the news coverage devoted to floods and tornadoes, it deserves attention and is starting to get it. There is a groundswell of activity in local communities to support healthier lifestyles and help people make long-lasting and sustainable changes that can reduce their risk for chronic diseases. A number of provisions in the health reform law are aimed directly at improving population health by addressing conditions where Americans live, learn, work, and play – at their schools, worksites, restaurants and more.

How can prevention and public health be leveraged to improve health and reduce health care costs, particularly within Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP? What are the threats to the “new public health” in light of budget constraints on the federal, state and local levels? How does the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) relate to public health and prevention activities? How are the resources in the $15 billion Public Health and Prevention Fund, set up under the ACA, being deployed?  How might budget cuts affect public health programs and population health?

These questions and others were addressed at a June 10 briefing, cosponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Panelists were: Jeff Levi, Trust for America’s Health; Steven Woolf, Virginia Commonwealth University; Christine Ferguson, George Washington University, STOP Obesity Alliance; and Dennis Worsham, Public Health, Seattle and King County. James Marks of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Ed Howard of the Alliance co-moderated.

Transcript

Full Transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Speaker Presentations

Dennis Worsham Presentation (PowerPoint)
Steven Woolf Presentation (PowerPoint)
Jeffrey Levi Presentation (PowerPoint)
Christine Ferguson Presentation (PowerPoint)

Event Details

Agenda (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Speaker Biographies (Adobe Acrobat PDF)