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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Tomas Rodriguez, MA, Steps to a HealthierUS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Mail Stop K-93, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717, 770-488-8271, trr0@cdc.gov

Steps to a HealthierUS is an initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that advances President George W. Bush's HealthierUS goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives.

The centerpiece of the Steps to a HealthierUS Initiative is a five-year cooperative agreement program to improve the lives of Americans through community-based chronic disease prevention and control. Through this program, states, cities, and tribal entities receive funds to implement chronic disease prevention efforts focused on reducing the burden of diabetes, overweight, obesity, and asthma and addressing three related risk factors—physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.

On September 2003, Secretary Thompson announced the award of 12 grants totaling $13.7 million to reach 23 communities, including one tribal consortium, 15 small cities or rural communities, and seven large cities. Additional communities are being funded in 2004 and a national organization has been funded to enhance the capacity of Steps communities.

Each Steps community has created a community action plan, a community consortium, and an evaluation strategy to address the three targeted conditions and their risk factors. HHS provides expertise, oversight and technical assistance for program planning, implementation and evaluation.

This session will provide an overview of the Steps to a HealthierUS Cooperative Agreement program and current programmatic, community, partnership, and funding activities. In addition, Steps successes, challenges, and strategic plans will be highlighted.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• understand and discuss the purpose, activities, and goals of the Steps to a HealthierUS cooperative agreement program.
• idenitfy ways to link their organization or community activities and goals to Steps activities and objectives.
• apply lessons learned from the Steps program to their own initiatives.

Keywords: Community Health Planning,

Related Web page: www.healthierus.gov/steps/grants.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation