Health Program Sustainability

Prevention and wellness is a key focus in public health services. In Title Four of the PPACA, “prevention interventions are of two key types: services provided to individuals in clinical settings (e.g., cancer screenings), and programs and services provided to communities (e.g., ad campaigns about exercise)” (Redhead & Williams, 2010, p. 30). Many programs have formed in the hope of creating a comprehensive approach to prevention.

Since 1980, the United States has taken on 10-year plans that outline certain key national health objectives set to be accomplished during a 10-year timeframe (Shi & Singh, 2015). These initiatives are founded on medical care with prevention services, health promotion, education, community health care, and increased access to integrated services. The initiative, Healthy People 2010: Healthy People in Healthy Communities, launched in 2000. The initiative emphasizes the role of community partners such as

For individuals to be healthy requires the combination of varying levels of physical, mental and social well-being throughout a person's lifetime. Most people find that maintaining their health requires a certain amount of effort and intention. Health programs can help with this effort, but their effectiveness depends on how well health professionals make sure that an individual's attention and information convert to actions and behaviors that succeed (Issel, 2009).

WHO’s definition of a ‘setting’ in the context of Health Promotion is ‘the place or social context in which people engage in daily activities in which environmental, organisational and personal factors interact to affect health and wellbeing’ (WHO, 1998). The core concept of the approach is dictated in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986. It involves initiating and maintaining a ‘supportive environment for health’ (WHO, 1986) and supports broader efforts of health promotion interventions, incorporating multiple determinants of health at a time. The SBA to HP values public participation, supportive social networks, empowerment, community, and health awareness. This approach aims to achieve positive health outcomes by embedding a health promoting concept into the organisational structure of a central setting such as a school, workplace or prison. It acknowledges a key connection between environment and wellbeing and works to achieve a more sustainable and long-term

There are some challenges, as well, in implementing health promotion programs that use the social ecological framework. One main challenge is that programs are expensive and complex to implement in certain community settings. Also, there needs to be close coordination and collaboration between individuals and groups. In the article by Wagemakers et al., the authors developed a framework that links the domains of social environment and health, with key health predicting mediators, and operational variables of participation and collaboration (6). They based this framework on experience in case studies, audits of community health programs in the Netherlands, and ideas found in the literature. The authors offer four key guidelines on how to apply the framework that can help increase community participation and collaboration. These guidelines are: use the variables as a menu, set specific aims for social change processes, use an action research approach and triangulate data. This framework can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of community health promotion designs and address the challenges faced in implementing new programs.

In 2005, Needham, Massachusetts, has passed a regulation that banned the tobacco sale to anyone under 21. This regulation has achieved great success. The number of smoking students in high school has decreased by 47%. Smoking rate has decreased rapidly after 30 days and the 60% of frequent smoking

Smoking is one the top leading preventable causes of death in the world today.5 Among all the states in the United States, West Virginia is ranked the highest in regards to smoking among the adolescents.15 Smoking cigarettes is seen everywhere among adolescents and the adults, focusing on the current static readings of how severe it is common among the West Virginia adolescent age group. By developing and implementing tobacco-control programs it has been proven to reduce the rate of smoking cigarettes among adolescents in West Virginia.

“Strengthen community action”- The purpose of the health promotion program is to empower the local people to initiate on taking control over the social events which influence their lives and health (Rootman, 2001) Program design provides the sense of empowerment-based when the community members are involving in from planning to evaluation stage (Laverack & Labonte,

Health promotion program evaluation is a process of judging the worth of the activity or the program. The evaluation process could be influenced by many factors. These factors as undefined program goals and outcome measures or objectives, lack of the program plan or logical model, lack of accurate documentation, the interest and concerns of the program’s stakeholders, the program complexity, the available resources for evaluation, method of measuring, etc. (Public Health Ontario, 2016)

The leading cause of death in the county is heart disease followed by cancer, and both of these can be linked to smoking or second-hand smoke exposure. Methods to move toward HP2020’s goal will involve encouraging and assisting smokers to quit. The Community Guide is a free resource to help guide communities to choose programs and policies for cessation. These programs are evidenced based, research-tested and include suggestions such as increasing the unit based price on tobacco products and how this would help to decrease use, increase the number of those who quit, decrease the number of those who try cigarettes the first time and decrease the tobacco related morbidity and mortality. The research suggest the improved health effects are proportional to the size of the price increase, also noted to be effective in prevention is mass reach communication or advertising regarding the dangers of smoking and also techniques for quitting (The Community guide, n.d.). Counseling is noted to be effective alone and with the use of medications and is available through programs like the toll-free quitline in South Carolina. Healthcare professional are urged to screen patients for use of tobacco and provide cessation information to all patients and also treatment strategies such as

In 2015, 9 of every 100 high school students (9.3%) reported in 2015 that they smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days this a decrease from 15.8% in 2011, this aggregate for entire US( CDC). In the Lower Bucks County area 1 in 5 (19.1%) adults currently smokes. This percentage is slightly lower than the smoking rate statewide (22.4%). The data supports the need to reduce smoking among all population, and starting with teens is a logical step.

Smoking is still a pressing issue for Americans, despite efforts to regulate and lessen tobacco use. One in every five Americans still regularly smokes a cigarette, and those who attempt to quit aren’t utilizing all the assistance resources available to them. With these treatments being more prominent now than ever before, there is evidence that supports the effects of a quitter using aid compared to one who does not. Providing brief interventions about tobacco cessation may encourage more quit attempts and use of appropriate treatments, such as a quit-lines or medication. Despite many efforts, healthcare providers are still failing to provide brief interventions to patients, which therefore exposes flaws in a healthcare-based strategy to drive

There are several components of an organization: having an accomplished and competent workforce, the latest system for storing and transmitting data, and the proficiency to evaluate and respond to the health needs of the public (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2015). Within these dynamics are the tools to enhance the health of communities by formulating environments that support & sustain optimum health, while promoting the learning of skillful behaviors. To break this down further, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014) believe that with the above tools, every public health

Houston Methodist is a leading academic medical center in Texas. It is known for providing excellent care to the Greater Houston area. Their staff all follows the I Care values which are integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence. This company is consistently listed as one of the best hospitals in the United States. Their facilities also include an Emergency Care Center, Imaging Center, Breast care center, and also an outpatient center.

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, or 1 of every five deaths. In 2015, about 15 of every 100 U.S. adults age 18 years or older currently smoke cigarettes. However, this is a decline from nearly 21 of every 100 adults back in 2005. One reason for the decline is due to smoking cessation programs developed within our communities. These programs are helping smokers to quit their habit, and improve their health and lifestyle. Let us look at what it takes to make a smoke cessation successful within ones’ community.