Aligning Efforts—Statewide Commission

Pat Simmons, MS, RD, LDMissouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Commission on Child Health and Wellness

Establish a commission to oversee implementation of the subcommittee’s recommended actions, study effectiveness of obesity prevention strategies, and provide an ongoing forum for education and future actions.

What?

Commission:A group of people who have been given the official job of finding information about something or controlling something.

How?

• Actionable by legislation or state agency• Through Department of Health and Senior

Services (DHSS)• Aligns with DHSS mission to protect and

promote the public’s health.

How?

• Diverse representation from:– State agencies– Health care providers– Community agencies– Local governments– Industry– Public

How?

• Prevent duplication of efforts• Work in partnership with other statewide

groups working to prevent childhood obesity– Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition

(MOCAN)– Missouri Convergence Partnership– Pioneering Healthier Communities Leadership

Group

About MOCAN• A coalition comprised of representatives from statewide and

local agencies, institutions, organizations, other coalitions or individuals who work together to advance the goals and objectives of the statewide plan, Preventing Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases, Missouri’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan.

• VisionThe health and quality of life of Missourians will be significantly improved through healthy eating and active living.

• MissionMoCAN fosters and supports healthy eating and active living through policy and environmental changes to measurably improve the health and quality of life of Missouri residents.

About MOCAN

• Governed by Steering Committee• Implementation plans through workgroups:– Schools/Child Care– Health Care– Messaging– Policy– Worksites– Built Environment– Food Systems

Why?

Framework for Implementation of Diet, Physical Activity and Health Strategies

Population-Based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention, WHO 2012

Why?

Recommendations are beyond the scope of one organization• …having a multi-sectoral national or

regional level plan with clear commitments and lines of accountability is critical to addressing issues across the life course.

Report of the First Meeting of the WHO Ending Childhood Obesity Ad hoc Working Group on Science and Evidence

Need for Structural Approaches

• Structures within governments to support policies and interventions should be viewed as necessary investments, or core infrastructure, for obesity prevention.

Population-Based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention, WHO 2012

Why?

• Because childhood obesity is multisectoral in nature cross-sectoral governance structures (e.g. a cross-government obesity taskforce) are likely to be necessary to coordinate actions and gain support across different portfolios of government at national or state levels.

• In addition, governments need to take the lead in coordinating relevant activities across different governmental ministries, nongovernmental organizations and private sectors.

Population-Based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention, WHO 2012

WHO Population-Based Approaches

• Leadership• Health in all policies• Dedicated funding for

health promotion• NCD monitoring systems• Workforce capacity• Networks and

partnerships• Standards and guidelines

Structures to Support Policies & Interventions

What?

Commission will:• Harness existing resources • Achieve more widespread reach• Enable joint planning, system-wide

problem solving

Potential Commission Responsibilities

• Monitor availability of treatment services, costs and barriers

• Identify and facilitate coordination of public-private resources

• Recommend policy actions• Assure evaluation of efforts

Other Potential Responsibilities

• Monitor progress on select indicators and strategies

• Advance and support collaboration• Enhance collaboration—Involving the community

and collaborating with its members are cornerstones of efforts to improve public health – “community” can be used in a more general way,

illustrated by refer-ring to stakeholders such as academics, public health professionals, and policy makers as communities (Principles of Community Engagement, CDC)

One possible way forward…

Chronic Disease Coordinating CouncilPurpose is to: • Identify Missouri’s priorities for policy

development and statewide interventions that address shared factors associated with prevention and/or management of chronic health conditions

• Inform DHSS leadership and partners about opportunities to align resources that optimize investment in public health strategies which will reduce the burden of chronic disease during the next decade

Chronic Disease Coordinating Council• Formed as a result of strategic planning

process around reducing chronic disease burden

• First meeting in March 2014• Brainstormed emerging policy issues and

priority issues for future work

Coordinating Council Members• Department of Social Services, Missouri HealthNet Division• Department of Elementary and Secondary Education• Missouri Foundation for Health• Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City• Missouri Primary Care Association• Department of Mental Health• Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies• Missouri Department of Natural Resources• Washington University• St. Louis University• University of Missouri Extension• Department of Health Senior Services Staff

• …that when experienced community leaders talk across geographic regions, share priorities, make collective decisions, learn from each other and, ultimately, take action together, their common voice will be deafening. The result will be a strong, sustainable movement, with local leaders and statewide advocates working side-by-side to improve the health of all.

California Convergence: Promise and Progress in Building a Movementhttp://www.phi.org/uploads/application/files/6mfmy94g6ykiz0uygi3li2nor6x0n8iv27nbppvv96y1of5o7a.pdf