Big Cities

Date: May 30, 2007-June 1, 2007
Location: Chicago Hyatt Regency

Introduction

Chronic disease prevention and public health preparedness are two of the nation's most pressing public health issues. Local action requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach to public health programming, setting policy agenda, and building critical infrastructures to ensure that our communities are healthy and safe. Local health departments face many similar issues in addressing these key public health issues, but those that serve large cities or metropolitan areas face some unique challenges.

In an effort to provide a forum for dialogue among some of the nation's largest cities and metropolitan areas, the Chicago Department of Public Health, in collaboration with NACCHO, sponsored a two and a half day meeting, titled A Tale of Big Cities. Local health officials, along with senior staff working in chronic disease prevention and/or public health preparedness, participated in a series of plenary and work group sessions to gain further insight and knowledge on the key issues and action steps to establishing effective chronic disease prevention and public health preparedness.

Goal

• Identify priority issues and develop strategies for addressing chronic disease prevention and public health preparedness for health departments serving large populations.

Although points of connection between chronic disease prevention and public health preparedness were addressed during various portions of the meeting, participants spent the majority of the time reflecting on the issues specific to either chronic disease prevention or public health preparedness.

Meeting Specific Deliverables

Chronic Disease Prevention: Issues and Actions
Key issues identified by the chronic disease group.

Public Health Preparedness: Issues and Actions
Nine key issues identified by the public health preparedness group

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