National Public Health Week
April 6-12, 2015
Click here to sign the pledge to become the healthiest nation by 2030!
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Click here to learn more about APHA’s “We Can Do Better Contest” #NPHWcontest
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Daily Themes
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Monday, April 6: Raising the Grade.
The U.S. trails other countries in life expectancy and other measures of good health, and this holds true across all ages and income levels. Too many people, including some of our political leaders, still believe we have the best health care in the world. We have great doctors, state-of-the-art hospitals and are leaders in advanced procedures and pharmaceuticals - yet our health ranks poorly when compared to other countries. To kick off NPHW 2015, the public health community will come together to talk frankly about what the data reveal about America’s public health. Visit https://twitter.com/nphw to join the conversation.
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Female life expectancy in the United States increased from 78 years in 1985 to 80.9 years in 2010, while male life expectancy increased from 71 years in 1985 to 76.3 years in 2010. In 2010 in Ventura County, both female and male life expectancy were above the national average. To learn more, click on one of the indicators below. |
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To learn more about life expectancy by zip code, go to page 91 of Ventura County Public Health’s latest community health assessment: /content/sites/ventura/Transforming_VC__Report_FINAL.pdf |
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Tuesday, April 7: Starting from Zip.
Today, your zip code says too much about your health. Within the United States, there are unacceptable disparities in health by race and ethnic group, state by state and even county by county. The effort to make the U.S. the Healthiest Nation in One Generation starts with equity across our communities. During the second day of NPHW 2015, the public health community will shine a light on local/state/regional disparities. Visit https://twitter.com/nphw to join the conversation.
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To learn more about disparities by age, gender, and race/ethnicity in Ventura County, visit our Disparities Dashboard. |
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Wednesday, April 8: Building Momentum.
Influential leaders, companies and organizations are taking important steps in line with creating the healthiest nation: just look at recent actions by CVS, America’s major food and beverage companies, RWJF, the American Planning Association, Michelle Obama, and many others. On the third day of NPHW 2015, the public health community will outline major recent changes and what they mean for our health. While the outcomes of these changes will play out over many years ahead, these are significant shifts that demonstrate these are significant shifts that demonstrate momentum is building around a higher commitment to our nation’s public health.
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“The County of Ventura believes that in order to build strong communities and a strong economy, it is necessary to commit to investing in health, equity, and sustainability. The Board also recognizes that providing County leaders and decision makers with tools to view all decisions through a health equity lens will benefit all entities. It is therefore the intent of the Board to support, promote, and maintain a Health in All Policies approach throughout all County Departments and Agencies.” This policy statement was formally adopted by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on January 27, 2015; under the leadership of Ventura County Public Health, the County of Ventura will implement the “Health in all Policies Framework” as the next step in achieving the desired health outcomes for our community. To learn more about Health in All Policies, please visit: http://www.phi.org/resources/?resource=hiapguide. |
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Thursday, April 9: Building Broader Connections.
In the work to become the healthiest nation, we can’t do it all on our own. We have to expand our partnerships to collaborate with city planners, education officials, public, private and for-profit organizations – everyone who has an impact on our health. During NPHW 2015, the fourth day will focus on communities mapping the network of partners and connections needed in their areas to make the U.S. the Healthiest Nation in One Generation. Visit https://twitter.com/nphw to join the conversation.
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Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) has been working diligently on a new 5-year strategic plan to replace our current strategic plan. The new mission of VCPH is to support environments that protect and promote the health and well-being of everyone in Ventura County. The new vision of VCPH is to be the healthiest county in the nation. One of the 5 priority areas within the new strategic plan is community-driven partnerships. VCPH wants to maximize opportunities, amongst the public health workforce, to build positive, sustainable partnerships with community organizations and residents. Be sure to visit this website in July when our new, improved strategic plan is released. |
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Friday, April 10: Building on 20 Years of Success.
2015 marks the 20th anniversary of APHA coordinating National Public Health Week, and the accomplishments of the public health community over the last two decades are significant, such as a 25-year improvement in the average lifespan for Americans and a 70 percent reduction in HIV/AIDS-related deaths. During the fifth day of NPHW 2015, the public health community (and especially public health student leaders!) will come together to celebrate these and other accomplishments and bring a renewed focus to the work ahead - and what it will take to become the Healthiest Nation in One Generation. Visit https://twitter.com/nphw to join the conversation.
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Healthy People provides a framework for prevention for communities in the U.S. Healthy People 2020 is a comprehensive set of key disease prevention and health promotion objectives. The health objectives and targets allow communities to assess their health status and build an agenda for community health improvement. To learn more about how Ventura County is doing towards achieving the Healthy People 2020 goals, visit the Healthy People 2020: Progress Tracker. |
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