It may not be at the top of most people’s to-do lists, but your health can play a major role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.
Upcoming symposium: Building Community Health & Wellbeing.
Conversations and healthy debate about issues facing our industry and the health care system are critical to addressing some of today’s challenges and opportunities. The Catalyst welcomes guest contributors including patients, stakeholders, innovators and others to share their perspectives and point of view. Like in our Conversations series, views represented here may not be those of PhRMA, though they are no less key to a healthy dialogue on issues in health care today.
We’re pleased to host a guest blog from Maureen Simmons, chief development officer, American College of Preventive Medicine.
It may not be at the top of most people’s to-do lists, but your health can play a major role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. That’s why the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) and its Corporate Roundtable members are leading efforts to encourage organizations of all kinds to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors for the benefit of their employees and individuals in local communities.
How do we get people to adopt healthier habits? There’s no magic bullet, but in a recent policy statement, published jointly in Mayo Clinic Proceedings and the European Heart Journal, ACPM and co-authors provided several examples of innovative new programs and unique partnerships that could change the way we think about community health. The authors advocate for all organizations—from government agencies to video game developers—to examine ways everyone can uniquely contribute to public health and disease prevention. For a pharmaceutical company, that could involve any type of collaboration with partners large or small, near or far.
To explore the power of these potential new models, ACPM is organizing the Building Community Health & Wellbeing symposium to be held in Crystal City, VA, on February 23 as part of Preventive Medicine 2016. The event will bring together leaders from the health and human resources fields to explore how societal influences impact community health. It is an opportunity for senior-level representatives from health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, employers, industry, government, medical associations, and other organizations to explore how to work together to create successful, vibrant, and healthy communities. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged.
The day will include lectures from the following key speakers:
ACPM encourages leaders in the biopharmaceutical industry committed to community and public health to learn more about the Building Healthy Communities event, Corporate Roundtable and other lifestyle medicine initiatives here.
*PhRMA is an active member of the society’s Corporate Roundtable, along with several other health providers.
