RWJF Commission to Build a Healthier America Releases Recommendations on Ways to Create a Healthier Nation

This week, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America released their latest recommendations on ways-beyond health care-citizens and stakeholders can work together to create a culture of health.  At an event held January 13, 2014, Commissioners discussed their recommendations, answered questions, and shared examples of promising programs and initiatives.

The Commission’s work emphasized the importance of collaboration. In the words of RWJF President and CEO, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, “we’ll need to work together to become a nation where everyone has the chance to lead the healthiest life possible.” Commissioner Alice Rivlin reiterated the importance of cross-sector engagement, stating, “this is a community issue. We can work together to create healthier places to live.”

The following are the Commission’s recommendations:

Make investing in America’s youngest children a high priority;

Fundamentally change how we revitalize neighborhoods, fully integrating health into community development;

Broaden the mindset, mission, and incentives for health professionals and health care institutions from treating illness to helping people lead healthy lives.

Below are a number of related Commission resources to explore:

• View full recording of the event
• Read “Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities”
• Watch videos on promising practices:
  • Prioritizing Early Childhood Development
  • Linking Community Development and Health
  • Connecting Health and Health Care
• Watch videos on recommendations:
  • Angela Glover Blackwell: Commission Opening Remarks
  • Jessie Rasmussen: Early Childhood Education
  • Jack Shonkoff, MD: Early Learning Brain Development and Lifelong Outcomes
  • Pre-K 4 SA: Building Support for the Future of San Antonio
  • David Erickson: Integrating Health into Community Development
  • Shirley Franklin: The Built Environment
  • Nancy Andrew: Including a Health Communities Focus at LIIF
  • Katherine Baicker: Cross-Sector Collaboration and Breaking Down Silos for Better Results
  • Investing in Communities, Transforming Lives: The Minneapolis-St. Paul Light Rail Project
  • Raymond Baxter: Health Care to Address the Entire Patient
  • Megan Sandel: Prescribing Healthy Activities, Foods and Behaviors for Healthy Communities
• Watch the Commission’s Call to Action
• Check out related charts and graphs
• Learn more about the Commission to Build a Healthier America