Health programs are designed to help individuals take action to improve their own well-being. They may focus on disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, and reducing health disparities. They can also be designed to educate communities about public health issues. Health education programs can help individuals understand the importance of a balanced diet, adequate exercise, and regular health screenings. They can also provide resources for addressing social or cultural barriers to health.
Community health services aim to lower national healthcare costs by promoting self-care, empowering individuals to make the right health choices, and providing resources for those at risk of poor health. They also provide educational and outreach activities, conduct staff training, create patient education materials and incentives, make community-based referrals, write grants, and work in partnership with other providers to implement clinical systems changes to promote preventive care.
A key feature of community health is the ability to reach disadvantaged populations, particularly those living in rural or urban settings. They can address environmental factors that influence healthy behaviors and assist with resource access in areas such as affordable medical, dental, and mental health services; insurance (including Medicare or Medicaid enrollment); translation and transportation services; housing and food. They can also help individuals obtain the resources they need to make a healthy life choice, such as education and employment opportunities, and advocate for these needs with state and local leaders.
Despite the benefits of health programs, many do not achieve their full potential to improve population health. This can be due to limited or unstable funding, a lack of automatic means to track and improve performance, workforce limitations, and insufficient political commitment. However, implementation can succeed and be sustainable if organizations and coalitions effectively address 6 key elements: innovation, a rigorously established technical package, management, partnerships, communication, and political commitment.
The Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) manages over $19.7 billion in Congressional appropriations for peer-reviewed research in areas such as breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, neurofibromatosis, and military health. They can advance paradigm shifting research, solutions that will lead to cures or improvements in patient care, and the availability of breakthrough technologies and resources for clinical benefit.
Patient Better is a health and wellness platform that enables individuals to better manage their personal health by connecting with their doctor, tracking progress on a treatment plan, managing their medication schedule, and managing their overall health in a single place. It helps patients make the most of their health benefits, navigate the healthcare system, and reduces administrative burden for both them and their doctors.
The Basic Health Program provides a safety net of health coverage to help people get the health services they need, when they need them, at a price they can afford. It offers healthcare to anyone who does not have insurance, including citizens and lawfully present non-citizens with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, as well as those who do not qualify for other publicly financed health plans.