Leading Health Foundations Say Prevention is Vital to Health Systems Reform

Letter signed by leaders of six major foundations says prevention measures
must be "scaled up"

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders of six of the nation's
top health foundations today made an unprecedented joint call for prevention
measures to be central to the reform of our national health systems.

In a letter released today, leaders at The California Endowment, The Kresge
Foundation, Nemours, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation,
and Kaiser Permanente, wrote that prevention measures like early health
screenings and improved access to healthy food will save both lives and money.
Good health, they argue, doesn't start at the doctor's office -- it starts
where we live, work, learn and play.

Beginning in 2006, the six foundations, along with technical advisor Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, partnered to form the Healthy Eating
Active Living Convergence Partnership -- a collaboration of funders looking to
help healthy people live in healthy places. Today's letter was released on
behalf of the Partnership.

In the letter, the foundation leaders point to several proven examples where
community-level prevention measures improved health, saved money, and
cultivated community leadership.

"This is a strong national platform for the nation to build on," they write in
the letter, available in full at www.convergencepartnership.org. "With
additional resources, it could bring considerable improvements in health for
all Americans. It is time to scale up these efforts by including robust
financial support for community prevention in any health systems reform."

The letter's signatories are:

-- Robert K. Ross, MD, President and CEO; The California Endowment
-- Raymond J. Baxter, PhD, Senior Vice President; Kaiser Permanente
-- Rip Rapson, CEO; The Kresge Foundation
-- David J. Bailey, MD; CEO and President; Nemours
-- Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA; President; Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation

-- Sterling K. Speirn; CEO; W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The letter is released at a crucial time, as Americans and Congress debate how
to reform our national health care system.

The foundation leaders stress that prevention can save money and improve the
long-term population health. A study last year from the Trust for America's
Health showed that for every dollar we invest in proven community-based
disease prevention programs, we save $5.60. If we invested $10 per person in
prevention, we could yield savings of more than $16 billion nationwide
annually within five years.

The American people also want a health care system built around smart
prevention measures. A recent Greenberg Poll showed prevention was the most
popular potential health care fix, with nearly half of respondents rating it a
10 out of 10 in terms of importance.

Successful programs highlighted in the letter include:

-- In Bakersfield, Calif., a small group of local mothers -- many of them
Spanish-speaking farm workers -- formed a walking group to improve
their
fitness and build community. With the help of police, parks officials,
and the local Chamber of Commerce, the group cleaned up a
long-neglected
park and reported meaningful improvements in their health.
-- In Somerville, Mass., the citywide Shape Up Somerville campaign helped
bring the city healthier school food, safer routes to school, farmers
markets, community gardens, and more nutritional restaurant options.
Weight gain among first- through third-graders has already slowed.

-- In Delaware, the statewide Make Delaware's Kids the Healthiest in
the Nation campaign ensured that policies and practices in early
education focus on healthy eating and physical activity as part of a
comprehensive approach to positively impact childhood obesity where
children live, learn, and play. For every dollar invested in the
initiative, Delaware saw a $4 savings in healthcare costs.

"Over time," the foundation leaders wrote, "a focus on community prevention
will improve health, save money, reduce demands on our health system and, most
important, lead to a nation of healthier people and healthier places to live."

About The Convergence Partnership
In 2006, a collaboration of funders came together to create the Healthy Eating
Active Living Convergence Partnership, with the shared goal of changing
policies and environments to better achieve the vision of healthy people
living in healthy places. The steering committee includes representatives from
The California Endowment, Kaiser Permanente, Nemours, The Kresge Foundation,
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention serve as critical technical
advisors on the committee. PolicyLink, a national research and action
institute advancing economic and social equity, serves as program directors
for the partnership. Prevention Institute, a national non-profit organization
dedicated to improving community health and equity through effective primary
prevention, provides policy research and analysis along with strategic
support.

For more information, please visit www.convergencepartnership.org

SOURCE The Convergence Partnership

Dan Lavoie, +1-510-418-1208, dan@policylink.org, for The Convergence
Partnership