June 2010

NACCHO Makes Recommendations for National Prevention Council

In early June, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council (Council). This executive order resulted from language in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) which directed the President to establish the Council. The Council is charged with developing a national prevention, health promotion, and public health strategy by March 23, 2011. The U.S. Surgeon General will chair the Council. Other council members include the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Education, Homeland Security, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Affordable Care Act also directs the President to establish an Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. This Advisory Group will be comprised of stakeholders from the healthcare and public health communities. The Advisory Group will develop policy and program recommendations and provide advice to the Council on lifestyle-based chronic disease prevention and management, integrative healthcare practices, and health promotion.

Last month, NACCHO sent a letter to the White House urging them to include an experienced local health official in the Advisory Group membership.

As implementation of the health reform law continues to move forward, NACCHO’s health reform webpage provides more details about provisions of interest to local health departments.

NACCHO Collaborates with First Lady’s Office on Let’s Move!

On May 26, NACCHO Executive Director Robert M. Pestronk, Washington, DC Health Director and NACCHO Board member Pierre Vigilance, and other NACCHO staff met with staff from First Lady Michelle Obama's Office and the White House Intergovernmental Affairs Office about the Let's Move initiative and its goal to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Local health departments are important partners in this effort. NACCHO is continuing discussions with the First Lady’s office about how NACCHO and local health departments can get involved. More information about Let’s Move! can be found here.

NACCHO Advocates for Environmental Health

Recently NACCHO has taken action on several environmental health issues.

On May 20, NACCHO attended a meeting with Environmental Protection Agency Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Gina McCarthy and other EPA staff on the issue of regulation of ozone. The coalition meeting, led by the American Lung Association, focused on the need to protect the public’s health by increasing limits on ozone. NACCHO staff provided the local perspective on how ozone impacts the public’s health and can limit the quality of life of community residents.

In early June, NACCHO joined with other public health advocates to successfully block an amendment by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to deny the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. NACCHO was recognized on the Senate floor by Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for its opposition to this amendment.

On June 8, NACCHO met with staff of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to urge their support of legislation establishing a Climate Change Health Protection and Promotion Fund that would support a national strategic action plan to assist health professionals in preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change on public health. This plan would include a variety of measures, such as enhancing disease surveillance systems; creating tools for predicting and monitoring the health effects of climate change; identifying and prioritizing vulnerable communities; developing centers of excellence for climate change and health; assisting with state, regional, tribal and local preparedness, communication and response plans; advancing climate and health research; and any other activities determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This fund is included in the climate change bill passed last year by the House of Representatives but is not included in the current Senate bill authored by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Lieberman (I-CT).

Click here for more information on NACCHO’s advocacy on environmental health issues.