Communities in Action


Book Description

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.




The Future of Nursing 2020-2030


Book Description

The decade ahead will test the nation's nearly 4 million nurses in new and complex ways. Nurses live and work at the intersection of health, education, and communities. Nurses work in a wide array of settings and practice at a range of professional levels. They are often the first and most frequent line of contact with people of all backgrounds and experiences seeking care and they represent the largest of the health care professions. A nation cannot fully thrive until everyone - no matter who they are, where they live, or how much money they make - can live their healthiest possible life, and helping people live their healthiest life is and has always been the essential role of nurses. Nurses have a critical role to play in achieving the goal of health equity, but they need robust education, supportive work environments, and autonomy. Accordingly, at the request of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, on behalf of the National Academy of Medicine, an ad hoc committee under the auspices of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted a study aimed at envisioning and charting a path forward for the nursing profession to help reduce inequities in people's ability to achieve their full health potential. The ultimate goal is the achievement of health equity in the United States built on strengthened nursing capacity and expertise. By leveraging these attributes, nursing will help to create and contribute comprehensively to equitable public health and health care systems that are designed to work for everyone. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity explores how nurses can work to reduce health disparities and promote equity, while keeping costs at bay, utilizing technology, and maintaining patient and family-focused care into 2030. This work builds on the foundation set out by The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011) report.




The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century


Book Description

The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.




Improving Health in the Community


Book Description

How do communities protect and improve the health of their populations? Health care is part of the answer but so are environmental protections, social and educational services, adequate nutrition, and a host of other activities. With concern over funding constraints, making sure such activities are efficient and effective is becoming a high priority. Improving Health in the Community explains how population-based performance monitoring programs can help communities point their efforts in the right direction. Within a broad definition of community health, the committee addresses factors surrounding the implementation of performance monitoring and explores the "why" and "how to" of establishing mechanisms to monitor the performance of those who can influence community health. The book offers a policy framework, applies a multidimensional model of the determinants of health, and provides sets of prototype performance indicators for specific health issues. Improving Health in the Community presents an attainable vision of a process that can achieve community-wide health benefits.







Legislative Calendar


Book Description







Achieving Health Equity


Book Description

Unveiling the Path to Health Equity: A Transformative Guide to Law and Policy Achieving Health Equity: The Role of Law and Policy offers a groundbreaking exploration of how legal and policy frameworks shape health outcomes for marginalized populations, with a particular focus on racial minorities in the United States. This comprehensive guide dissects the complex interplay of factors determining health: 20% healthcare, 30% health behaviors, 40% social and economic factors, and 10% physical environment. Amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and a national reckoning on racism, this timely work provides an urgent call to action and a practical roadmap for transformative change. It examines how laws and policies across sectors intersect to perpetuate or dismantle health inequities, offering concrete strategies for reform. Key features include: An ecosystem approach exploring four critical domains: healthcare access and quality, health behaviors, social and economic factors, and physical environment Analysis of emerging issues such as addressing the impact of climate change on health disparities, strategies for mitigating algorithmic bias in healthcare AI, and promoting equity in organ transplantation and clinical trials Examination of cross-cutting themes like community engagement, civil rights protections, and data disaggregation to guide targeted interventions Case studies and policy tools for dismantling structural drivers of health inequity Written in accessible language without sacrificing depth, this book illuminates complex concepts through relatable examples. It serves as an invaluable resource for a diverse audience including health system administrators implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, public health officials and policymakers, legal professionals and advocates, researchers and students in health-related fields, community organizers and racial justice activists. Achieving Health Equity provides a comprehensive blueprint for leveraging law and policy to build a more just, equitable, and healthy future for all.




Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 2013: Outside witness testimony


Book Description

Shipping list no. 2012-0243-P (pt. 1, 4), 2012-0266-P (pt. 2A), 2012-0267-P (pt. 2B), 2012-0250-P (pt. 3), 2013-0038 (pt. 5), 2013-0040-P (pt. 6), 2012-0298-P (pt. 7).