Health Care Blog

Nominate a White House Champion of Change for Public Health and Prevention

Since its earliest days, the Obama Administration has worked to improve the health and well-being of our families and our communities.  From tackling childhood obesity, to combating the tobacco epidemic, to expanding access to affordable health coverage, the Administration has focused on innovative and meaningful ways to support a healthier America.

The Administration believes that prevention and public health are a top priority because they have lasting effects on the health of Americans.  That’s why the Affordable Care Act provides unprecedented resources through the Prevention and Public Health Fund to support community-based strategies to prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and support public health. Communities across the country are working with their public health leaders, employers, schools and citizens and across sectors like health, transportation, housing and education, to build partnerships that promote healthy lifestyles.

The Affordable Care Act also created the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, which provides federal leadership to engage states, communities, and private partners in creating a healthier America through the recommendations of the National Prevention Strategy. The Prevention Fund is supporting projects that will put the National Prevention Strategy into action, helping to move the nation from a focus on sickness and disease to one based on wellness and prevention.       

But we know that efforts to promote the public’s health and prioritize prevention happen in America’s towns and cities, in schools and parks, in churches and community centers. Every day, local leaders across America’s communities are stepping up in big ways to make sure all Americans have the opportunity to live a healthy life.

This September, the White House will host a “Champions of Change” event to celebrate these local change-agents, whose exemplary leadership is helping to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in our communities.

The event will bring together and honor extraordinary individuals who are taking innovative approaches to support longer, healthier lives in communities across the country. These leaders will be invited to the White House to celebrate their accomplishments and showcase their actions to support healthier communities.

Today, we’re asking you to help us identify these standout local leaders by nominating a Champion of Change for Public Health and Prevention by midnight on Friday, August 9^th. A Champion’s work may involve:

• Supporting community and clinical prevention efforts to address chronic disease, increase education and outreach, and integrate primary and behavioral health;
• Creating healthy and safe communities by promoting healthier schools, homes, and workplaces that make the healthy choice the easy choice;
• Working to address health disparities and empower all Americans to make healthy choices by addressing health concerns that disproportionately affect certain populations;
• Strengthening public health infrastructure and improving public health’s capacity to detect and control disease and other threats;
• Increasing the uptake of important preventive services; and
• Promoting tobacco prevention, 

We are looking forward to hosting this event and to highlighting the great work communities across the country are doing to advance the health and well-being of the American people.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Nominate a Prevention and Public Health Leader as a Champion of Change (under theme of service, choose "Prevention and Public Health Leaders").

Carole Johnson works at the Domestic Policy Council.

Secretary Sebelius: Medicare Helps Millions

Ed Note: This is a cross post from The Huffington Post. You can find the original post here.

My 92-year-old father first ran for public office after he finished his military service in World War II. He served on the city council, and later was elected to Congress. In 1965, he helped write and voted for Medicare and Medicaid, which celebrate their 48th anniversary today.

Since then, Medicare has been a guaranteed benefit earned after a lifetime of hard work for millions of America's seniors. Medicaid has provided affordable health coverage for millions of low-income working Americans and families. Both programs have helped keep people from falling into poverty. Both have been lifelines to better health and sources of peace of mind and security.

That's why President Obama has made it a top priority to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid so that our seniors and future generations can get the health care they need and peace of mind they deserve.

Because of the health law, seniors are seeing more dollars saved in their wallets and better benefits to their health.

More than 6.6 million people on Medicare have saved an average of more than $1,000 on prescription drugs since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. That's money that has been used for groceries, utilities, and visits with grandchildren instead of being sent to drug companies -- and that's how the Affordable Care Act is closing the "donut hole" that too many seniors fall into.