Making the U.S. Healthier in One Generation: National Public Health Week
Apr 07, 2016
Americans are living 20 years longer than their grandparents’ generation, thanks largely to the work of public health. Still, people in many other high-income countries live longer and suffer fewer health issues than we do here in the U.S. That is why the theme for the 2016 National Public Health Week is “Healthiest Generation 2030.” Join with the Sioux Falls Health Department in celebrating all that public health efforts accomplish in our community this week, April 4–10.
Each year in the United States, seven out of ten deaths are due to preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In fact, chronic diseases account for a whopping 75 percent of national health care spending, yet only 3 percent of our health care dollars go toward prevention.
“People working in all areas of public health are uniquely positioned to help improve the health of communities and our nation,” said Jill Franken, Public Health Director for the City of Sioux Falls. “National Public Health Week provides an opportunity for us to talk about how we address public health issues through the promotion of physical, behavioral, and environmental health; the prevention of illness, disease, and injury; and the elimination of health disparities.”
The Sioux Falls Health Department is a public health provider that includes three main focus areas:
- The Health Department Environmental Division is responsible for areas relating to sanitation/inspection, licensing, and reducing neighborhood or property problems through code enforcement, public health preparedness, community programs, and services such as mosquito control. One prominent program from this division is the upcoming Project NICE/KEEP, which helps identified neighborhoods with a volunteer-driven neighborhood cleanup.
- Falls Community Health is a community health medical and dental clinic with a mission to reduce or eliminate health disparities. The clinics serve patients at four sites. The main site is located at 521 North Main Avenue, and three school-based sites are located at Hawthorne Elementary, Terry Redlin Elementary, and Hayward Elementary. All sites are available to patients regardless of ability to pay.
- The goals of Live Well Sioux Falls include promoting good nutrition and access to healthy foods, encouraging more physical activity, promoting quality clinical preventive services, and reducing tobacco use. One project currently underway is The Big Squeeze, an annual community-wide project to raise awareness of high blood pressure in our community. Free screenings are taking place throughout the month of April at more than 120 locations.
“Many cost-effective, preventive steps can add up to make a big difference in transforming a community’s approach to health from one focused on treatment to one that equally values prevention,” said Franken.
These steps include everything from creating more opportunities for residents to be active and safe outdoors and being able to access healthy foods and from promoting preventive screenings to educating residents about emergency preparedness.
“Research shows that investing just $10 per person each year in proven, community-based public health efforts can save the nation more than $16 billion within five years,” Franken said. “That’s a $5.60 return for every $1 invested.”