HHS Rolls Out "Healthy People 2020"

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently rolled out its" Healthy People 2020" objectives. The goal of Healthy People 2020 like its previous counterparts is to provide a 10 year objective, goals and guidelines to improve the nation's health.

Origin of Healthy People Initiative

In 1979, the Surgeon General published a report entitled "Healthy People: The Surgeon General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention." In this report, Surgeon General Julius Richmond helped redirect the Nation's health care focus from treatment to prevention of disease. This document set quantifiable objectives for improving the health. It also put an emphasis on educating the public on personal lifestyle choices that can affect a person's health. These objectives have been updated by the Department of Health and Human Services every decade since. This document serves as a template for government entities, insurers, health care concerns and individuals in the delivery of health care and the dissemination of information that can help in the guidance of people toward making healthy choices in their lives.

Healthy People 2020; An Overview

As with previous Healthy People documents, "Healthy People 2020" uses evidence based science to lay out 10 year objectives for improving the health of the American Population. According to the HHS website, this document will establish a benchmark and monitor progress of the initiative. The Department of Health and Human Services stated goal is to encourage collaboration across health care, professional and non-professional sectors, help guide individuals into making healthy lifestyle decisions and to monitor the impact of prevention activities.

Use of Healthy People 2020

"Healthy People 2020" is a web based resource. It can be an important tool for anyone in healthcare for the planning of health programs. From the national and state level, down to communities and individuals, this document serves as a guide to implementing health policy as it relates to prevention. In this document, the health planner will find a topics and objectives index. In this index, you will find topics ranging from access to health care to sexually transmitted diseases. When you click on a particular topic, you will find the goals, overview and objectives concerning this particular topic. You will also find links to other websites such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) which will help in fleshing out the topic being discussed.

Another important area in the document "Healthy People 2020" is the implementation section. This section contains the basic framework for implementation of health initiative programs as well as planning and funding resource ideas. You will also find on this page a guide to state by state initiatives and resources.

"Healthy People 2020" is a great starting point for anyone concerned with disease prevention education. It is a great tool for the planning and implementation of education initiatives whether you are on the state or local level.

http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx

http://www.osha.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/

http://www.hhs.gov/