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Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, FACHE, Division of Public Health Systems/Public Health Practice Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K-39, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-2527, pch4@cdc.gov, Laura J. Zauderer, MPH, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 214 Carlyle Lake, Decatur, GA 30033, Glen P. Mays, PhD, MPH, University of Arkansas, Mathematica Policy Research, 4301 West Markham, #820, Little Rock, AR 72205, and Kathy Cahill, MPH, Office of Strategy and Innovation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-D28, Atlanta, GA 30333.
OBJECTIVES: Although the United States enjoys the most technically advanced health system in the world, the health and well-being of the American public continue to lag behind that of many other countries. The CDC convened a Health System Workgroup as part of its Futures Initiative to identify opportunities for working more effectively within the health system to achieve improvements in the public’s health.
METHODS: The Workgroup used an “outside in” group process that included discussions with a variety of health system stakeholders external to CDC, along with key internal staff from multiple CDC centers, institute, and offices.
FINDINGS: Meaningful health improvement requires a view of the health system that extends beyond health care and public health providers to include many other actors working in areas that influence health, such as education, housing, business and industry, transportation, economic and community development, and communities themselves. The Workgroup recommended that CDC and its partners begin to engage this system in prevention and health protection activities through a series of strategic priorities that include: marketing prevention effectively within the health system; coordinating health system activities across the continuum of care; promoting the development of health information systems that support prevention; empowering community health action to address health problems; targeting the social, behavioral, and environmental determinants of health; and making public health an effective partner in prevention by leading efforts to strengthen and energize the nation’s public health infrastructure. Options for achieving these and related priorities were identified.
CONCLUSIONS: CDC and its public health partners need to engage in actions that leverage and influence other actors within the health system.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to
Keywords: Essential Public Health Services, Health Care Restructuring
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.