You may not know it, but Congress made a historic investment in prevention when it passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
At a time when states are cutting deeply into their public health budgets, Congress set aside $500 million this year (and $2 billion in 2015 and every year after) for the newly established “Prevention and Public Health Fund”, which will support clinical activities as well as community-based prevention initiatives, such as the Education and Outreach Campaign for Preventive Benefits, a planned public-private partnership to raise awareness on preventive care.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of this commitment to prevention. However, it is incumbent upon policymakers and their community partners to use all funding wisely to support the most effective programs possible.
Here are a few tips for creating an effective prevention program that we’ve learned from the last 20 years of prevention in Massachusetts:
1. Effective health promotion efforts begin with the elimination of silos and collaboration across programs, agencies and stakeholders. Programs have to focus on individuals and communities alike and work in concert.
2. Prevention programs cannot rely solely on governmental funding. We need help from the private sector, NGOs and philanthropies as well.
3. Successful health promotion requires the participation of diverse local populations. Everyone needs to be involved.
4. Prevention planning requires up-to-date community-based data. So we can ensure resources are allocated efficiently.
5. Community coalitions cannot run on volunteers alone. Paid staff are necessary for a sustainable program.
As we work to support national health care reform, the public and the health community need to continuously position community-based primary prevention initiatives as a priority. After all, better health does not happen in isolation; it must be woven into the fabric of the community.
We can do better and, with this landmark commitment from the federal government, we will.
Guest blog post by Ralph Fuccillo, President, DentaQuest Foundation
Welcome to the online blog for DentaQuest, a leader in oral health, committed to improving oral health through access, innovation and affordability. Through open and ongoing conversation, we hope to provide you with expert advice and information on best practices in dental care.