"Health Yeah!" Podcasts Series Explores Innovative Population Health Improvement Models

ATLANTA, March 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is launching its newest podcast series, "Health Yeah!," led by Dr. Jean O'Connor, out-going NACDD Board President, on innovative models for population health improvement and chronic disease prevention within each community.

"While hospitals, payers, and health care providers consider a more limited definition of 'population' by focusing on the panel of patients they serve, we tend to view outcomes on a more geographical or societal basis," Dr. O'Connor said. "However, our end goal of improved health is the same, and we are using many of the same techniques and approaches to improving population health to accomplish our objectives," she said. 

Dr. O'Connor's "Health Yeah!" podcasts support the third annual NACDD President's Challenge, which is a call to action for public officials to focus on emerging issues in chronic disease prevention and control. In 2016, Mehul Dalal, MD, MSc, MHS, Chronic Disease Director of Connecticut, led the "Learn, Lead, and Thrive" podcasts, which challenged Members to improve management practices, and support professional growth development in state health departments. The first President's Challenge, initiated by Namvar Zohoori, MD, MPH, PhD, Director of the Center for Health Advancement at the Arkansas Department of Health, examined the importance of health equity.

"I believe that public health has championed this idea around social determinants of health which is integral to population health," said John W. Robitscher, NACDD CEO. "How do we make sure that every person has a safe place to live, clean food, and water? How do we make sure they have transportation to and from medical attention whenever they need it? It does take a village to take care of people. Dr. O'Connor's podcasts series is a detailed study on how the public health community as a whole can improve population health." 

All eight episodes are approximately 30 minutes in length and will be released individually on NACDD's website, iTunes, and on SoundCloud starting March 30 to help kick off National Public Health Week (April 2-8, 2018).

• Understanding Population Health Improvement: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Mary Ann Cooney, Chief of Health Systems Transformation with the ‎Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, on population health and what it means among public healthcare officials, and how population health can be understood.

• Defining Population Health Improvement: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Dr. Vincent Lafronza, Chief Executive Officer of the National Network of Public Health Institutes, on social determinants, population health improvement, and what the definition of population health improvement really means.

• Meeting the Needs of Employees through Worksite Wellness: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Carmen Daniel, Worksite Wellness Program Manager with ‎the Georgia Department of Public Health, on the collaboration that occurs between the state health department and academia to provide support and encourage worksite wellness. The program focuses on aspects—such as physical activity, nutrition, and stress management—that support worksite wellness.

• Opioid Use in Public Health: Dr. O'Connor speaks with John Auerbach, president and CEO of Trust for America's Health, on opioid use in the United States, and how it affects population health and public health. Auerbach also touches on topics such as importance of keeping people healthy and resilient, and how it has a positive effect on population health.

• Improving Population Health through Partnership: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Laura Seeff, Director of the Office of Health Systems Collaboration in CDC's Office of the Associate Director for Policy, on how the department translates effective public health prevention and control practices into action by health systems.

• Chronic Disease and Social Determinants in Public Health: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Dr. Soma Stout, a Vice President at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and is Executive Lead of 100 Million Healthier Lives, on how the public health industry should come together to examine the driving forces behind chronic disease, and how the landscape can be improved.

• NACDD Projects that Support Population Health: Dr. O'Connor speaks with John W. Robitscher, NACDD's CEO, on how NACDD uses consultants to work on projects that support chronic disease prevention and control. Robitscher highlights some of the projects that provide support and education, and are currently funded by NACDD and CDC.

• CDC Foundation and Population Health: Dr. O'Connor speaks with Dr. Judy Monroe, President and CEO of the CDC Foundation, on the importance of philanthropy and partnerships to support population health efforts, from emergency responses, like Zika, to chronic disease issues. 

NACDD and Dr. O'Connor invite public health professionals to join the conversation on the efforts to raise awareness of activities in population health on Twitter at @NACDDinfo using the hashtag #pophealthworks.

National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

chronicdisease.org

The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) and its more than 6,500 members seek to improve the health of the public by strengthening leadership and expertise for chronic disease prevention and control in states, territories, and at the national level. Established in 1988, in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the NACDD is the only membership association of its kind serving and representing every state and U.S. territory's chronic disease division.

CONTACT:  Paige Rohe, [email protected], 404-924-8295

SOURCE National Association of Chronic Disease Directors

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www.chronicdisease.org