306406
Strategically Promoting Policies and Initiatives to Improve the Health of Older Adults and their Communities
In this session, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Connecticut Commissioner of Health, and the Georgia Commissioner of Health will describe how state public health agencies work across sectors to take a comprehensive approach to improve the health of older adults and their communities. Working with state public health agencies and partners across all sectors ASTHO developed a state health policy and practice recommendations needs assessment and strategic planning matrix based on national guidelines, policies, and recommendations around healthy aging. The matrix was tested with two states to inform their efforts around improving the health of older adults and their communities. Additionally, ASTHO convened a Strategic Map Meeting of cross-sector partners to create a strategic map highlighting the most effective policies and initiatives, particularly around the cognitive health of older adults. Based on the insights gleaned through these initiatives, as part of ASTHO’s President’s Challenge, each state in its membership was asked to focus on at least one policy/initiative to enhance their statewide efforts.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programsAdministration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Learning Objectives:
Describe strategies for successfully partnership across state agencies and sectors to improve the health of older adults and their communities.
Identify key recommendations for the role of public health and public health agencies in improving the health of older adults and their communities.
Demonstrate state health agency’s role in partnership to improve the health of older adults and their communities.
Keyword(s): Aging, System Involvement
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the chief of health promotion and disease prevention for ASTHO, managing its Aging portfolio. Prior to joining ASTHO, I served as interim commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health and deputy commissioner of health for the state of Vermont. I also served as the state director of public health nursing and assistant director of the Division of Community Public Health, and worked as a public health nurse.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: State Health Official of Connecticut
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health and State Health Officer, I am qualified to contribute to a discussion on the Public Health Role in Health Aging. A board-certified OB-GYN with three decades of practice and a fellow in anti-aging medicine, I am now leading our state’s statutory efforts to create a state Alzheimer’s registry.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.