Healthy People 2020: National agenda shifts to risks, roots of disease

Public health experts hope the forthcoming edition of 10-year health goals will be leaner and easier to implement.

By Victoria Stagg Elliott, AMNews staff. June 2, 2008.

When Robert E. Harrington, director of the Casper-Natrona County Health Dept. in Wyoming, started working in 2000 to steer his community toward meeting Healthy People 2010 goals, he knew he would have to pick and choose key priorities if any progress were to be achieved. Otherwise, the document -- a version of which has been issued by the Dept. of Health and Human Services at the beginning of each decade since 1980 to set national health objectives -- was just too overwhelming.

"We tried to use Healthy People 2010, but it was just too big of an elephant to swallow," he said.

The first edition of Healthy People laid out 226 objectives. Healthy People 2000 had 312. By the time Healthy People 2010 was issued, it attempted to tackle 467 objectives, with some items having as many as 28 parts. Subjects ranged from diabetes and mental health to health care access, along with myriad others. But, in recognition that the marching orders have become unwieldy, Healthy People 2020 is expected to be trimmed down.

"As the nation was developing the obesity epidemic, so was Healthy People. ... We need to be more focused to allocate our resources better," said Carter R. Blakey, HHS senior adviser and leader of the community strategies team. She spoke at an April 30 regional meeting in Chicago -- one of six across the country. The events are designed to gain input for the now-under-construction Healthy People 2020 from various health organizations as well as the general public. Comments also are being taken online (www.healthypeople.gov/hp2020/comments).