CDC Urges Community-Wide Approach to Health
NashvilleHealth and the Metro Public Health Department were pleased to recently host John Auerbach, director of policy with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for a candid discussion on reducing Nashville’s hypertension rates.
Dr. Auerbach told more than 50 Hypertension Workgroup attendees that new evidence shows health outcomes are largely determined by social, economic and environmental factors. He pointed to successful interventions in other states and shared details on the CDC’s newly-released HI-5 tool, a resource around measurable five-year plans for policymakers and community stakeholders. For further information on the CDC’s 6-18 focus on evidence-based interventions and high-burden health conditions, please click HERE and for CDC guidelines on controlling high blood pressure, click HERE.
“This is the time to role up your sleeves and really pay attention to what works,” Dr. Auerbach said. “Tennessee has got really impressive things going on and we are looking forward to seeing your planning and work in the future.”
Dr. Auerbach’s call to action was followed by small group discussions around three specific intervention strategies for hypertension reduction. Thank you to those who participated. As next steps, we will review the group feedback and continue to work with community partners to further define short and long-term goals around hypertension.
Expert Panel Focuses on Infant Mortality Reduction
Building on the valuable work coming out of our initial Infant Mortality Workgroup meeting, NashvilleHealth and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Health Policy Department (VUHP) hosted a day-long meeting with infant mortality experts from across the country.
These experts, pictured below, shared insights on best practices and recommendations for reducing infant deaths. A summary report will be shared with our Infant Mortality Group for their feedback at a meeting on September 9.
Tobacco Cessation Work Continues
NashvilleHealth reconvened the Tobacco Working Group Media and Communications committee last month to collaborate and align resources around the public awareness components of tobacco control. Our thanks to all the organizations providing support in this area.
Also, pictured below, NashvilleHealth took part in a fantastic weekend at the state’s first statewide youth tobacco prevention conference, the FACT Summit 2016, designed to empower teens to stand against tobacco. More than 400 teenagers from 50 Tennessee counties took part in the event.
NashvilleHealth is an initiative of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Its mission is to substantially improve the health and well-being of Nashvillians.
IN THE NEWS
The Food We Eat Daily That Leads to Poor Heart Health For Our Children, by U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, M.D. (Forbes)
New collaboration takes aim at infant mortality in Nashville,(The Tennessean)
Delta Dental of Tennessee’s Partnership with Neighborhood Health Brings Dental Care to Nashville’s Homeless, (BusinessWire)
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 9 – Infant Mortality Working Group meeting from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Lentz Public Health Center. For more information or to register, please click HERE.
October 30 – Office of the Mayor and Walk Bike Nashville are hosting the city’s second annual Open Streets Celebration from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. in the 12th Avenue South area. For more information, click HERE.
November 17 – The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. For more information, including facts, materials or on how to get involved, click HERE.
If you would like to include your organization’s upcoming event in our next newsletter, please click HERE.
NashvilleHealth recently visited Casa Azafrán (pictured above) with Renata Soto, executive director of Conexión Américas. An amazing Nashville resource, Casa Azafrán offers education, legal and health care services as well as the arts to immigrants, refugees and the community.
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