Improving Public Health Infrastructure

Research has shown that medical care accounts for only about ten percent of our nation’s overall health status.  The other ninety percent is largely due to the way in which we structure our society to create opportunities for health into our day-to-day lives.  Many of these factors can be addressed within our existing public health system, which is designed to protect us and improve our health and well-being.

But when the benefits of our public health system are not fully understood by policymakers and the public, the result is an inadequate investment in the infrastructure needed to implement proven prevention strategies. Working in cooperation with nonprofit advocacy organizations and governmental public health, the Northwest Health Foundation is working to change that.

People in neighborhoods across the region often take certain aspects of their life—like clean water, of safe walking routes—for granted.  But it is often the local public health department that takes a leading role in making our communities healthier places to live, work, learn, and play. They are responsible for creating and running the activities and programs that keep people healthy and safe from disease and injury.

Public health departments do a lot of things we are familiar with:they provide vaccinations; ensure our food, water, and air are safe and clean; respond to emerging health threats, like H1N1 flu; and provide programs that help mothers and children stay healthy.  They also identify and promote policies that create the healthiest possible communities.