Online Program

Oral

The policy, system, and environmental change strategies that are necessary to move the needle on health equity require that public health agencies build partnerships with those best positioned to create policies and practices that promote healthy communities and environments. This requires building relationships across sectors, identifying the many co-benefits and promoting healthy public policy that takes a broad vision, strikes a balance of opportunistic and strategic methods, and engages dynamic leadership from government officials, staff, and community partners. CA4Health, the Public Health Institute's Community Transformation Grant, works with the counties in California whose population is less than 500,000 to implement local changes that will create healthier community environments. In these rural communities across California, the CA4Health initiative has led to growing interest in Health in All Policies and use of a Health in All Policies approach, because of growing recognition of the need for a broad vision, diverse methods, and cross-sectoral leadership. In order to establish more coordinated and cohesive action related to reducing consumption of sugary beverages, increasing availability of smoke-free housing, creating safe routes to schools, and chronic disease self-management, these communities are building their capacity to advance policy, system, and environmental change through a Health in All Policies approach. Merced, Monterey, and Tulare Counties in California have taken on this work in unique ways, leveraging diverse opportunities across their rural counties. In this panel, the presenters will share what Health in All Polices is, describe how the Health in All Policies approach is being used to implement work across diverse strategic directions, and discuss lessons learned from implementing the approach in a rural context.

Session Objectives: (1) Describe three benefits of incorporating the key elements of a Health in All Policies approach into policy, system, and environment change strategies in rural communities (2) List three examples of Health in All Policies implementation in rural communities (3) Identify three indicators of readiness to implement Health in All Policies in a rural community

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH) , Masters Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)