Redefining health priorities and improving health promotion for military communities

Military health care spending increased by 300% over the past decade—rising to more than $50 billion in 2012. In order to reduce costs, improve readiness and increase resilience among U.S. service members (an 85%-male population), health promotion programs are being employed to encourage healthy behaviors and lifestyles. One example is the NMCPHC Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) Department. HPW studied federal initiatives, such as Navy's 21st Century Sailor and Marine, DoD's Total Force Fitness, MHS' Quadruple Aim and the U.S. Surgeon General's National Prevention Strategy to lay the foundation for a campaign that addresses the nation's most critical health areas as they relate to Sailors and Marines, Navy reservists and wounded warriors – Tobacco-Free Living, Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use, Healthy Eating, Active Living, Injury and Violence-Free Living, Reproductive and Sexual Health, and Psychological and Emotional Well-Being. HPW is engaging military health educators in webinars, social media and in-person outreach efforts to facilitate dissemination at the local installation level. By aligning efforts to a national health strategy, HPW streamlined communications and is helping to optimize the readiness of the total force, sustain optimal well-being, and support the resilience needed to carry out mission duties. This campaign underscores the importance of health promotion and prevention, serves as an example of localized application of national health prevention, and establishes NMCPHC's role as a critical and effective health and wellness resource.