Blog

Remember the eye exams for color blindness? Where a series of dots in various colors hide a number or a shape? At first it may be hard to see, but once you identify the number, it becomes quite easy to focus on it.   Well with the public health goals it is quite similar. Having achieved great success in past 10 years, local health departments are better equipped to achieve Healthy 2020 goals. Focusing on these identified goals will better equip public health departments to make a difference in the health of their communities. As we get closer to 2020, there is a discussion about what should role of public health departments be.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a list of the top ten achievements in 10 years, thanks to the collaboration between Healthy People 2020 and Public Health efforts. The improvements have been impressive and areas of most improvement included:

• Vaccine-preventable diseases
• Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
• Tobacco Control
• Maternal and Infant Health
• Motor Vehicle Safety
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
• Occupational Safety
• Cancer Prevention
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
• Public Health Preparedness and Response

Working together has made an impact on the success of many of the public health department programs. Much progress has been made in these areas and several programs will continue to evolve to meet the current problems within communities. Another initiative which can provide needed tools for success is the federal mandate for adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR). The EHR mandate has many key requirements (such as connectivity to immunization registry, sharing of data via Health Information Exchange) which will help automate and improve population health. Additionally, the use of evidence based strategies will help improve community health.

Encouraging healthy behavior, making healthy decisions and promoting health awareness is something we can all do. Resolve and encourage a healthy state.