Healthy Communities

We work closely with government agencies and health care providers in their efforts to address the needs of older Americans and support healthy aging and build vibrant, healthier communities. We take an interdisciplinary, multi-faceted approach that encompasses research, training, technical assistance, and consumer education. Learn more. 

More than half of the people living in the U.S. have at least one chronic health condition, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. We take a socio-ecological approach to the problem of chronic disease, recognizing that people are influenced by a combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal factors. Interventions and prevention strategies must include a continuum of activities across the lifespan.

We are active in supporting and steering change associated with health care reform and chronic disease management as part of the overall emphasis on improving the efficiency of health care.

More than 9 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, and many of those people don’t even realize that they have the disease. Many others have pre-diabetes and will develop the disease within the next five years.

We strive to strengthen the ability of health care systems to address this concern along with connecting people living with and who are at risk of developing diabetes with prevention and management resources within their communities. We support efforts to build healthy lifestyles by equipping clinical providers with tools to connect their patients to community resources.

Health outcomes are affected by a range of social, behavioral, and economic factors outside the walls of a health care center or hospital. We work with payers and providers to address these population health issues through programs and joint initiatives with community-based services. Learn more.