PLEASE READ BEFORE COMPLETING ASSIGNMENT. REQUIRED INFORMATION BELOW

Healthy People 2020

In December 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released Healthy People 2020, the third in a series of decade-long initiatives designed to promote health and prevent disease among Americans. Please visit the HealthyPeople.gov website to familiarize yourself with the history of Healthy People, how it has been used at the state and local levels, and areas have been identified as priorities for Healthy People 2020 and its predecessors, Healthy People 2010 and Healthy People 2000, as these will be focal points of discussion for this module. You will also need to review information on MAP-IT, which stands for Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, Track, a framework for achieving Healthy People Objectives in local communities.

LINK: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020

Steps to a Healthier US

At the heart of the Steps to a Healthier US initiative lie both personal responsibility for the choices Americans make and social responsibility to ensure that policy makers support programs that foster healthy behaviors and prevention. These steps include promoting health and wellness programs at schools and worksites and in faith- and community-based settings.

Developing chronic diseases is not an inevitable consequence of aging; in many cases, their origins are grounded in health-damaging behaviors practiced by people every day for much of their lives. Evidence indicates that with education and social support, people can and will take charge of their health.

The national agenda must call for programs that focus on individual responsibility and behavior change, such as the following:

• School health programs that provide environments and instruction that promote healthy eating; daily physical activity; and the avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.
• Smoking cessation strategies, such as improved access to quit lines, improved insurance coverage of smoking cessation services, and greater involvement of health providers and health care systems in the routine delivery of cessation advice and services to patients who want to quit smoking.
• Physical activity strategies such as motivational signs and reminders placed near elevators and escalators encouraging the use of stairs for health benefits or weight loss.
• Faith- and community-based programs that bring together community health advisors, nurses, and church representatives to support, encourage, and help people to obtain cancer screening services and to navigate the health care system.

Enact policies that promote healthy environments

Policy and environmental changes can affect large segments of the population simultaneously. Adopting healthy behaviors is much easier if we establish supportive community norms and health policies. The national agenda must call for proven health promotion measures such as:

• Safe walking and cycling trails.
• Low-fat/high-fruit-and-vegetable menu selections in restaurants, schools, and employee cafeterias.
• Incentives to schools for physical education.
• Smoke-free policies in workplaces and public areas.
• Universal availability of 911 emergency services for stroke and heart attack care.

Ensure access to a full range of quality health services

Physicians and other health care practitioners play a critical role in providing chronic disease screening and early detection services. They are also uniquely positioned to influence patients to adopt healthy behaviors that help prevent chronic disease. The national agenda must call for:

• Improved access to effective screening and diagnostic tools for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers; diabetes; high blood pressure; and high cholesterol.
• Better training and education of health care professionals to close the gap in time between discovering effective prevention tools and strategies and applying these tools in medical practice.
• Public and private health insurance programs that provide appropriate chronic disease prevention, screening, and treatment services.
• Training to empower patients to manage their chronic conditions effectively.

Implement programs that focus on eliminating racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic-based health disparities

Of utmost importance is a constant vigilance to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic groups. These disparities are reflected in differences in length of life; rates of disease, disability, and death; severity of disease; and access to treatment.

• In 1999, death rates from heart disease were 29% higher and death rates from stroke were 40% higher among African American adults than among white adults.
• American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.6 times more likely, African Americans are 2 times more likely, and Hispanics are 1.9 times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than whites.
• African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer than are women of any other racial or ethnic group.
• Nearly half of African American women are classified as obese.

Prevention research is needed to identify the causes of health disparities and the best ways to provide access to high-quality preventive care and clinical services. Effective programs will require new and innovative partnerships among federal, state, local, and tribal governments and communities.

Educate the public effectively about their health

Scientific evidence indicates the public listens to and acts on clear, compelling health information. We must use communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions on health. Scientific approaches to social marketing, health education, and consumer research must be applied to public health initiatives—everything from simple brochures to public service announcements to comprehensive media campaigns. We must market health effectively, just as corporations market their products and images.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT-

Case Assignment

Healthy People 2020: Understanding and Improving Health

For this assignment, I would like for you to expand your knowledge and understanding of the goals and mission of Healthy People 2020 and its predecessor Healthy People 2010.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Discuss whether or not you believe that the mission and goals for Healthy People 2020 are reasonable given the major health concerns facing our communities. Of the 2020 topics, choose one and discuss its impact on public health—support your discussion with at least 2 articles using ProQuest.
2. Please compare and contrast the focus areas for Healthy People 2010 with the topics for Healthy People 2020. What are their similarities? Are there any differences? In your opinion and given the current health trends, what might be a single most important health priority or topic for Healthy People 2020?
3. Briefly discuss how a commitment by a state and/or local health department to meet the objectives of Healthy People 2020 can affect public policy. Use one of the assigned readings as a reference.
4. What is the role of “Healthier US” and what are the policy and environmental changes that are directed toward achieving a healthier lifestyle? Identify a policy of environmental change that you believe will result in actually achieving a healthier lifestyle. Justify your position.
5. Do you consider it to be appropriate for a state or county health department to set objectives which are not compatible with CDC’s Healthy People 2020 topics and objectives? Please support your position. Use one of the assigned readings as a reference.

Please submit your Case Assignment by the end of Module 2. Please refer to the Trident calendar for exact due dates. Please contact me at any time should you have any questions.

Assignment Expectations

1. You are expected to consult the scholarly literature in preparing your paper; you are also expected to incorporate relevant background readings.
2. Your paper should be written in your own words. This will enable your instructor to assess your level of understanding.
3. In order to earn full credit, you must clearly show that you have read ALL required Background materials.
4. Be sure to cite your references in the text of all papers and on the reference list at the end. For examples, look at the way the references are listed in the modules and on the Background reading list. Remember, any statement that you make that is not common knowledge or that originates from your synthesis or interpretation of materials you have read must have a citation associated with it. For guidelines on in-text citations, visit the following website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/
5. Proofread your paper to be sure grammar and punctuation are correct and that each part of the assignment has been addressed clearly and completely.
6. Your assignment will not be graded until you have submitted an Originality Report with a Similarity Index (SI) score <15% (excluding direct quotes, quoted assignment instructions, and references). Papers not meeting this requirement by the end of the session will receive a score of 0 (grade of F). Papers with a lower SI score may be returned for revisions. For example, if one paragraph accounting for only 10% of a paper is cut and pasted, the paper could be returned for revision, despite the low SI score. Please use the report and your SI score as a guide to improve the originality of your work.

Length: Your paper should be 4-6 double-spaced pages (800-1,300 words) in length, excluding title page and references.

Note: Wikipedia is not an acceptable source of information.