Building on one of California’s cornerstones in its health reform efforts in 2007, prevention and wellness are key elements of the recently passed national health reform legislation. There is a focus on both supporting community-based prevention and on encouraging the use of preventive services by removing cost-sharing requirements for evidence-based services. Community prevention will be addressed through a Prevention and Public Health Fund that provides support for prevention, wellness, and public health activities, as well as community transformation grants to government agencies and community based organizations for prevention activities to reduce chronic disease rates and address health disparities. This forum will provide an overview of national prevention priorities and key federal health reform prevention activities and timeframes, a review of effective preventive services, and presentations from successful community-based prevention programs that can serve as models for future prevention activities.

Panelists

Anne Haddix, PhD, Chief Policy Officer, Office of Strategy and Innovation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sana Chehimi, MPH, Program Manager, Prevention Institute
Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH, Director, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research and Professor, Family and Community Medicine, UC Davis Health System
Mary Pittman, DrPH, President and CEO, Public Health Institute
Karen Shore, PhD, Vice President for Planning & Health Policy, Center for Health Improvement

The California Health Policy Forum is an initiative of the Center for Health Improvement. Funding is provided by a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation.