There’s no better time than the New Year to reflect on past milestones and set goals for the year ahead. The most recent America’s Health Rankings® statistics identified key areas where there is room for collective health improvement, particularly within preventable chronic disease metrics, and we can't wait to get started. It's time to put our resolutions on the table and take action toward addressing the urgent health needs of our states and communities.
In the spirit of new goals and resolutions, United Health Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), a national nonprofit organization that represents public health agencies in the U.S., including more than 100,000 public health professionals. Through this partnership, the United Health Foundation will launch a new learning collaborative, which will identify states that have improved in key measures in the Rankings and study and share the best practices that have contributed to their success.
The importance of our public health heroes cannot be overstated. ASTHO professionals commit themselves, every day, to maximizing health awareness and healthy living in the states in which they serve. As experts on issues ranging from infectious disease and workplace safety to emergency preparedness and health promotion, they provide local agencies with strategic direction on key public health issues, offering thoughtful and tailored solutions to states' most pressing health concerns.
This year's America's Health Rankings revealed significant discrepancies between the top and bottom five states, particularly within preventable chronic disease metrics. Through this partnership, we will dig deeper into these and other gaps, locate the factors driving state-specific health behaviors, and identify replicable models for improving states' public and private health.
Maine offers a shining example of how public health advocacy and collaboration can drive real change. Recognizing room for improvement, the Maine Immunization Coalition – an informal alliance of state health groups and associations – took the initiative to connect clinicians, families, experts and local agencies to a new Maine Universal Vaccine Program. Thanks to this innovative approach, Maine's childhood immunization rates saw significant improvement over just one year.
We're thrilled that Paul Jarris, Executive Director of ASTHO, had the opportunity to speak about the Rankings during our launch event on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. His presentation highlighted the exceptional efforts of our public health heroes, as well as future goals for leveraging the Rankings’ data to improve state and national health. For more information, please read his commentary here. You may also watch a video of the launch event here.