NJ Spotlight published the following article on January 29, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS EYE NEW APPROACH TO CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION
ANDREW KITCHENMAN | JANUARY 29, 2014
State officials aim to take a more comprehensive, unified approach to trying to reduce chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, as part of a new five-year plan announced yesterday.
The plan, called Partnering for a Healthy New Jersey, would combine existing programs that target different diseases, since these maladies are affected by many of the same risk factors, such as poverty.
The plan focuses on strategies to prevent disease and increase residents’ health and wellness as part of current programs to treat diseases. By involving hospitals, insurers, healthcare foundations, and community organizations in this work, state officials are looking to improve and better coordinate these programs.
State Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd noted that seven of the top 10 causes of death in New Jersey are chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and kidney disease. She emphasized that public health efforts can reduce the risks of several of these problems.