National Prevention Strategies

Seven in ten deaths in the United States, are attributable to chronic disease (“Leading Causes” 1). These diseases are not on account of bacteria or viruses, which could be treated with an appropriate prescription or vaccine. Chronic conditions are developed through unhealthy lifestyles and behaviors such as a lack of exercise, poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, and substance use (e.g. tobacco). Consequently, seven in ten of every death can be prevented with changes in lifestyle. The CDC states that these conditions, “are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems” (“Chronic Disease” 1). Although these conditions have clear and definite causes (knowing the exact reason and “cure” for them), they are becoming more prevalent rather than domesticated. According to Wu and Green, “Between 2000 and 2030 the number of Americans with chronic conditions will increase by 37 percent, an increase of 46 million people” (1). This increase comes with an increase in health care costs: the CDC reported that the U.S. spent three trillion dollars on health care in 2014 (“Health Expenditures” 1). 86% of these costs was associated with these conditions (“Prevention” 1). Despite there being a range of causes of why patients make these choices, one issue that may be less familiar to others is the lack of knowledge in preventative medicine among health care professionals. Current training standards are not adequately educating or equipping health care professionals

Not only has the cases of preventable chronic diseases increased over the years affecting half of the U.S population, they account for 86% of the health care costs. Programs and policies that address risk factors and causes of these diseases at their roots would not only promote public health but reduce the cost of health care both in treatment and hospitalization.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors account for 50 percent of preventable death in the US. As the diversity of the US population increases, health care providers are expected to provide services that are reasonable and responsive to the unique cultural and ethnic identity, socio-economic condition, emotional and spiritual needs, and values of patients and the population. In this class, I have learned various diseases and conditions of all ages and ethnicities (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2017). Through case studies, I was able to apply broad, organizational, client-centered, and culturally appropriate concepts in the planning, delivery, management, and evaluation of evidence-based clinical prevention and population care and services to individuals, families, and aggregates/identified

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

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This saying goes to show that investing in preventative care is the only way to effectively reform health care plans in America. It is no secret that there are many issues facing health care; however, the most important issue seems to be the lack of funding for preventative care. Redistributing health care related funds into areas like public health and preventative medicine can increase the overall quality of life for patients. If health care reform revolves around preventative medicine, then America’s standard of health will rise. A healthier society will lessen the demand for expensive life-saving surgeries, thus decreasing the overall cost of health care. The overall solution for this issue would be to set a realistic health care budget that correlates to the United States’ current standard of health, thus majority of the budget focuses on preventative medicine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mission is to collaborate to create information and tools for people and communities to protect themselves through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and the preparedness for new health threats The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seeks to accomplish its mission by working with partners throughout the nation and the world to monitor health, detect and investigates health problems, conduct research to enhance prevention, develop and advocate sound public health policies, implement prevention strategies, promote health behaviors, foster safe and healthful environments, and provide leadership training. In order for the Centers for Disease to achieve their mission, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relies on external partners including public health association, state and local public health agencies, schools and universities, and volunteer organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a created a set of four health protection goals. The goals are all people especially those at a greater risk of health disparities will achieve their optimal life span, the place where people live, work, learn, and play will protect and promote their health and safety, people in all communities will be protected from infectious, occupational environmental, and terrorist threats, and people around the world will

To promote better health the US department of health developed Healthy People 2020 with objectives to promoting healthy lives. Their goals are for people to live a long healthy life and remove disparities (Health People 2020, 2015). There are three levels of health promotion prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary (Edelman & Mandle, 2014). Primary relates to preventing disease before it begins. Actions such as receiving an annual flu shot to prevent getting the flu, or eating healthy to prevent heart disease and weight control are included in primary prevention. Secondary prevention involves catching diseases early through screening. Some facilities will offer lung cancer screenings to catch the disease early to prevent worse outcomes. The third is tertiary which involves maintaining the best level of health possible with the disease or disability currently affecting a person. All three of these certainly

In an approach to health promotion and the prevention of diseases that affect the Hispanic community disproportionately we can look at prevention in 3 levels, primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary prevention would be preventing a disease or injury before it occurs. This could be done with the use of education and legislation on safety and health practices. Secondary prevention would be reducing the impact of the disease or injury that has occurred. This could be accomplished by early detection and health screenings. Lastly the tertiary prevention would be used to alleviate the impact of ongoing illness or an injury that has lasting effects. This would be accomplished by helping to manage chronic and complex diseases/conditions and permanent disabilities. This would help improve quality of life and life expectancy. One condition, while not a leading cause of death, but on the rise in the Hispanic community is the high incidence of HIV. The incidence rate is 3 time higher for Hispanics than white Americans. In 2013 the HIV rate in Hispanics counted as 23% of all new infections. Hispanic males were 85% of these new infections. ("CDC," 2015)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a radical healthcare reform that aims to provide affordable, quality healthcare for all US citizens. This increased scope of coverage would allow millions more of Americans to use the system. In order to drive down costs from many more individuals, the ACA has planned to increase incentives for preventative public health interventions including primary care physicians. Although this is a fine beginning, I believe the greatest challenge to the long-term success of this reform remains the shift in mindset from a focus in treatment to an equal focus in prevention. Preventative services are vital to a healthcare system. However, the effects of prevention are often long term, and thus are traditionally underappreciated by those who have the disease being prevented. Individuals with the disease also undervalue prevention, as it does not affect their health state. With this mindset, prevention is undermined and will continue to be a challenge for the progression of the ACA.

As I think about getting older and what issues I feel are important, I realize that our nation is plagued with various issues. Most important and dangerous of all is the issue of Healthcare problem and that ObamaCare should not be repealed. Even medical analysts argue that the world is moving into epidemiologic transition, brought by a reemergence of infectious and parasitic diseases. The infectious disease microbes have continuously evolved and changed in response to the environmental pressure by developing a resistance to drugs and insecticides. These diseases are prevalent in poor areas. Health insurance is an expensive service to have and many middle-class families and families living in poverty cannot even afford it. In this very high time, if our people are not protected, there will be no one left to hoist our flag on Fourth of July. Hence, The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as ObamaCare was enacted to make health insurance more affordable for those with little or no coverage. While our president Donald Trump pledged to repeal the ObamaCare. This is what I feel is a very important social issue our country is facing now.

From a general wellbeing point of view, health insurance strategy ought to emphatically affect the main sources of morbidity and mortality, particularly in underserved groups. There are people who are less fortunate and have limited or no access at all to effective health insurance. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were set in place to affect the general wellbeing of underserved people. Many are skeptical that the PPACA has done anything to decrease the mortality and morbidity rate in America. As a health analyst I will examine how the PPACA has impacted HIV, Cancer and Heart Disease and Stroke in underserved communities as well as examine if these disease have achieved the Healthy People of 2020 goal.

The Affordable Care Act also produced the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, which gives federal leadership to engross states, communities, and private partners in building a happy and healthier America through the guidance of the National Prevention Strategy; a plan for guaranteeing Americans are in good health at every period of their life. The Prevention and Public Health Fund is reinforcing programs that assist our health care system change from placing emphasis on illness and disease to one built on wellness and

Human Immunodefiency Virus has become all too common in my hometown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Rapidly this city has taken the number one spot leading the nation cases per capita of 100,000 people, according to Rene Taylor, Executive Director of Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge. (Feb., 2018). Baton Rouge holds its highest HIV cases in the North Baton Rouge area, where African Americas account for 95% of the residents. Studies show that age, poverty and education level is concurrent with most people infected with the virus. Baton Rouge has many organizations and government funded programs for all residents but coherence is proven to be low. Therefore, I posed the question: How do we decrease the HIV percental in Baton Rouge? I suggest we decrease the HIV epidemic in Baton Rouge by first, providing mandatory Education and statistics about the virus. Secondly, promoting

The National Prevention Strategy aim is to increase the number of Americans to live healthy in every stage of their life (CDC, 2014). It provides leadership at the federal level that emphasize on prevention, wellness, and health promotion and its landmark represented in a vision, goals, strategic direction, priorities, recommendation, and act. The National preventive strategy supports the Affordable Care Act, as both of them emphasize on the importance of prevention for all Americans.

Just as clearly, experience shows that the right approaches, applied quickly enough with courage and resolve, can and do result in lower HIV infection rates and less suffering for those affected by the epidemic. An ever-growing AIDS epidemic is not inevitable; yet, unless action against the epidemic is scaled up drastically, the damage already done will seem minor compared with what lies ahead. This may sound dramatic, but it is hard to play down the effects of a disease that stands to kill more than half of the young adults in the countries where it has its firmest hold—most of them before they finish the work of caring for their children or providing for their elderly parents. Already, 18.8 million people around the world have died of AIDS, 3.8 million of them children. Nearly twice that many—34.3 million—are now living with HIV, the virus [9].