Prevention Agenda Toward the Healthiest State
"Too many New Yorkers experience poor health as a result of obesity, tobacco use, and lack of preventive health services. The Prevention Agenda is a call to action to local health departments, health care providers, health plans, schools, employers, and businesses to collaborate at the community level to improve the health status of New Yorkers through increased emphasis on prevention."
- Richard F. Daines, M.D., State Health Commissioner
Priorities
The Prevention Agenda identifies ten priorities for improving the health of all New Yorkers and asks communities to work together to address them.
- Access to Quality Health Care
- Chronic Disease
- Community Preparedness
- Healthy Environment
- Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Healthy Children
- Infectious Disease
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse
- Physical Activity and Nutrition
- Tobacco Use
- Unintentional Injury
Prevention Works
A goal of the Prevention Agenda is to prevent health problems before they occur, or before they worsen.
The things we do, the food we eat, the air, water around us, and the design of our communities contribute to the majority of deaths in New York and the nation.
And, believe it or not, that's good news, because health promotion and disease prevention can help us eat healthier foods, successfully quit smoking, and enjoy living in safe environments with clean air and water.
Health promotion and disease prevention activities might include investigating disease outbreaks, labeling foods that are high in fat, counseling and drug treatments to help people quit smoking, and testing water supplies to make sure they are free from chemicals or other pollution. Laws such as the Clean Indoor Air Act that bans smoking in public buildings, bars and restaurants protect people's health.
Keeping people healthy by preventing illness in the first place makes much more sense than having to treat them when sick. Community-based prevention can yield a return on investment through savings in health care and Medicaid budgets.
That's what New York's Prevention Agenda is all about.
Community Health Planning Approach
Another goal of the Prevention Agenda is to involve a wide range of organizations and community members in developing community health plans that identify and address problems that affect the health of New Yorkers.
The Prevention Agenda calls on local health departments and hospitals to identify two or three of the ten Prevention Agenda priorities and to work with community providers, insurers, community based organizations and others to address them. Statewide program and policy initiatives will complement local efforts.
In 2009, local health departments and hospitals joined together to conduct community health planning and develop improvement plans. The Department of Health has information about programs and strategies that have been shown to promote health and prevent illness. Some of this comes from actions taken right here in New York's cities, towns and village, or in similar communities elsewhere. Recommendations from national public health groups will also be shared. The use of this information in planning and conducting effective programs is called evidence based public health.
Tracking Public Health Priorities
Selected Indicators for Tracking Public Health Priority Areas, along with measurable Prevention Agenda 2013 objectives, provide information to plan prevention programs, develop new policies, and measure our progress. Tables are available at the New York State and county level.
The Prevention Agenda aims to reduce or eliminate racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities where they exist. Information about health disparities is included in the New York State table.