Improving Population Health

The IOM Weighs in on Multisector Health Policy

By David A. Kindig, MD, PhD

A few weeks ago I wrote about the first report in the Institute of Medicine For the Public’s Health series on The Role of Measurement in Action and Accountability. The second report, Revitalizing  Law and Policy to Meet New Challenges was released last week. Its overall purpose is to review how statutes and regulations “prevent injury and disease, save lives, and improve the health of populations.” This post will focus on the third chapter, “Intersectoral Action for Health.”

There is growing consensus around the idea that multisectoral solutions are needed to address broad population health challenges.  Various conceptual approaches have been suggested, such as Health Outcome Trusts, Accountable Health Communities (by Sanne Magnan, former Minnesota Commissioner of Health), and my own “Super Integrator” concept. The opportunity for the federal government to coordinate across all departments is also the charge and the promise of the new National Prevention Council. The IOM chapter on intersectoral action provides an excellent and concise summary of the evidence and arguments for such an approach, and includes three important recommendations (the report has nine recommendations altogether):

Pop Health Twitter Roundup (6/29/11)

The latest and greatest from @PopHealth

• NY Times: Concerns about costs rise with hospices’ use

• Geomedicine: Imagine providing physicians with info about social determinants of health

• Across Europe, stifling drivers in favor of mass transit & walking is urban policy

• Did you know the LA School District voted no on flavored milk in schools? This & much more in @RWJFCenter’s weekly update

• Is bicycle commuting an under-appreciated pop health metric?

• Great interview with Austin Frakt on the contribution of blogs to research translation

• MA's new system for cutting healthcare costs not working -- cost disparities not related to quality persist

• Engaging youth in urban planning through a competition on "dream streets"

David Brooks: Pop Health Columnist?

David A. Kindig, MD, PhD

For me, reading David Brooks’ twice weekly New York Times column is a must. Dubbed “the liberals favorite conservative,” Brooks writes from a moderate and evidence based perspective that is almost always illuminating and refreshing.

In his June 13 column titled Pundit Under Protest, he complained about having to cover the upcoming Presidential campaign because “the two parties contesting this election are unusually pathetic. Their programs are unusually unimaginative. Their policies are unusually incommensurate to the problem at hand.”

Brooks said that what the country needs is a political party that “would be offering a multifaceted reinvigoration agenda. It would grab growth ideas from all spots on the political spectrum and blend them together. Its program would be based on the essential political logic: If you want to get anything passed, you have to offer an intertwined package that smashes the Big Government vs. Small Government orthodoxies and gives everybody something they want.”

National Prevention Strategy Released

Last week the Surgeon General and the National Prevention Council released the first National Prevention Strategy report. They are to be congratulated for this since it is a major milestone in the effort to improve population health, and should be required reading for all who share this goal. As this effort unfolds over the coming years, enhancements such as those suggested in this blog will still be required. But for now, let’s read and appreciate the effort to date.

Pop Health Twitter Roundup (6/22/11)

The latest and greatest from @PopHealth:

Jack in the Box will no longer offer toys in kids' meals. Great move -- will others follow suit?

Do personal health technologies contribute to health inequities? Peter Orszag weighs in

A London neighborhood creates a "Fairness Commission" to address public sector income differentials

U.S. Releases Graphic Images to Deter Smokers

A new tool for epidemiologists? Social Media.

New research on Social Security & Health: preventing poverty among seniors linked to declines in mortality

"It’s everyone’s responsibility and everyone’s opportunity" Surgeon General on the National Prevention Strategy

KaBOOM! -- Sparking leadership and unleashing energy within to help communities create places for kids to play

Hospital Community Benefit: An Update on Opportunities and Challenges

By David A. Kindig, MD, PhD

Last summer, I called attention to the IRS request for comments on reporting requirements for non-profit hospitals, which must justify their tax exempt status by providing “community benefit” to the communities they serve. This is a big deal, since having this status amounts to a collective tax savings for these nonprofit hospitals of about $13 billion annually (a 2007 IRS estimate). Stories such as this one in Modern HealthCare highlight the controversial nature of this issue. Last week I attended a conference sponsored by St. Louis University and the Hilltop Institute to review current policy and research perspectives with regard to community benefit.

Pop Health Twitter Roundup (6/14/11)

The latest and greatest from @PopHealth:

New health policy in Ireland to focus on prevention

NY Times coverage on the costs of urban diets and anti-obesity campaigns (with a focus on Louisville, KY)

Hawaii: teacher hooks kids on running – they become “Mighty Milers” and test scores rise

Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) brings nutritious food to 400,000 through small-scale, local establishments

Study of preschool children shows benefits lasting into adulthood

CDC provides updated FAQs on Community Transformation Grants

Who is HHS Chief Technology Officer Todd Park? Check out this great feature in the Atlantic

Webcasts from the 6/9/11 Health Data Initiative Forum

The Health Care Blog hosts the 6/9/11 edition of the Health Wonk Review

Minnesota Idea Open launches new crowdsourcing competition: CHALLENGE II to address water issues

Population Health Eye on Utah's Wasatch Front

By Kirstin Q. Siemering, DrPH, RD 

When it comes to transportation policy, Utah’s Wasatch Front region is a frontrunner. The Wasatch Front is an urban area in north-central Utah that consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range. Roughly 80% of Utah's population resides in this narrow region, which contains Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden. With strong leadership, collaboration, and advocacy, the area has become a model for transportation policy to address rapid population growth and development occurring over the last half century.

So what does this have to do with population health?