| WV | DHHR | BPH | OEHP | |
During the decade of the 1990's, the Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives set the stage for targeting the health status of Americans. In the same spirit, Healthy People 2010 will undertake another decade-long effort toward continuing to improve the health and lifestyles of Americans.
Thirty WV workgroups, representing the various national health focus areas, will be working through 1999 to identify, narrow down, prioritize and target West Virginia Health Priorities to be achieved by the year 2010.
Healthy People is the prevention agenda for the nation. Stemming from the 1979 Surgeon General's report on health promotion and disease prevention, it was designed to "encourage a second public health revolution in the history of the United States... let us make no mistake about the significance of this document. It represents an emerging consensus among scientists and the health community that the Nation's health strategy must be dramatically recast to emphasize the prevention of disease."
Healthy People is a strategic management tool -- for the federal government, states, communities and many private sector partners. Success is measured by positive changes in health status or reductions in risk factors, as well as improved provision of certain services. Healthy People gives focus and direction to these efforts.
The Healthy WV Coalition, a consortium of health delivery channels and networks, provides oversight for our WV process. Their leadership role ensures a broad public/private partnership in the development of our state objectives. Healthy People 2010 Focus Area workgroup membership consists of representation from various health channels, governmental bodies, provider/recipient groups, and private industry.
These public/private partners convene for a Summit on June 24, 1999 at the Charleston Civic Center. The Summit commemorates their joint efforts and celebrates the beginning of an ongoing and strategic relationship.
For more information about the Healthy People 2010 process in WV contact Chuck Thayer at the WV Bureau for Public Health: 304-558-0644, or e-mail: Chuck.E.Thayer@wv.gov.
For information about the National Healthy People process (from which WV Objectives will be drawn) access the national website @ http://web.health.gov/healthypeople.