Physicians: Setting & Meeting Population Health Goals for Colorado
A group of Coloradans met in Florissant from June 21 to 23, 2013. The objectives of this retreat included engaging Colorado physician leaders, medical students and public health professionals in a dialogue about:
The findings from community health assessments across Colorado done by hospitals, community clinics and public health agencies as were mandated by the Affordable Care Act and the Colorado Public health Improvement Act, plus new data from the Colorado School of Public Health about the global burden on health in Colorado.
- The community health priorities that these data suggest and opportunities for creative approaches for health care professionals to partner with public health agencies on better ways to enact programs for disease prevention, clinical preventive services and chronic disease management.
The group concluded that the health of a community is only as healthy as its children. Colorado may be one of the healthiest states in the nation, but this will not continue, judging by the current health of our children, which is mediocre at best.
The group acknowledged that today’s children, tomorrow’s children and all Coloradans need access to health care and also access to the conditions that determine health in the first place. The group recognized that the Governor’s new plan to become the healthiest state (www.colorado.gov/stateofhealth) is wholly consistent with better health, unanimously endorsed the Governor’s plan, and encourages other groups of health care providers to do the same.