Testimony on the National Prevention Strategy

Presented by Kathy Chan, Associate Director, Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition

November 18, 2010
 

Good morning.  My name is Kathy Chan, and I’m the Associate Director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition.  We’re a nonprofit organization that focuses on the promotion and improvement of health outcomes for women, children, and their families through advocacy, education and community empowerment throughout the state.  For over two decades, IMCHC has been fighting for affordable, high-quality health care for women, children and their families, and would like to present testimony on behalf of our members and their clients and patients.

Thank you to Dr. Galloway, Director Thomas, and the rest of the HHS Region V offices, the Institute of Medicine and the Chicago Department of Public Health for the opportunity to address you with our recommendations of priorities for the National Prevention Strategy. In particular, I’d like to highlight some issues pertaining to maternal and child health.

As the Council considers how to address specific populations’ health needs to eliminate disparities, we would like to recommend that infant and maternal mortality be considered specifically during this process. Currently, an African American baby is more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday than a Caucasian baby in the same region. This statistic reveals how critical preconceptional, interconceptional and prenatal care is for prevention, especially in African American communities. Additionally, there must be a commitment to quality data collection that includes information about health status and race, gender, and age, among other factors, to help identify areas where disparities exist.

In regard to high impact, quality clinical preventive services, it is crucial that alongside prenatal care, there also be an emphasis placed on vaccinations throughout the lifecourse. Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of medicine and have saved millions of people from the effects of devastating diseases.  The present childhood immunization schedule protects against fifteen serious diseases. We also have the ability to protect adults from influenza and pneumonia and adolescents from devastating diseases as well.

In many ways, vaccines are victims of their own success. Because we no longer see polio in the United States, the near-eradication of it in other parts of the world, it is “out of mind, out of sight”. Yet, polio, and many other infectious diseases, are just a plane ride away.  In fact, we do not need to travel very far to be see cases of pertussis or whooping cough. Winnebago and Lake Counties have both experienced a rise in pertussis cases this year.  California experienced 10 deaths due to pertussis this year alone. It is imperative that continuous education on immunizations is provided and access to immunization services is increased. 

A strong public health infrastructure is a critical tool for a national prevention strategy. We would like to recommend that emphasis be placed on the use of the medical home model to ensure quality and consistent care, regardless of income. However, encouraging the use of the medical home model, or prenatal care or vaccines, as preventive measures will only be effective if there is consumer engagement. Therefore we recommend a concerted outreach strategy to the Council. It is crucial that the focus on prevention is shared with affected community members, and that local organizations are utilized for this outreach.

We also want to ensure that oral health is included in the prevention discussions. Too often, oral health is an afterthought, but we know that good oral health contributes to good overall physical health. Along with medical homes, it is important to encourage dental homes and coordination between the two.  

Finally, public health prevention is only as effective as the professionals within it, therefore we recommend that the Council encourage workforce development through scholarships, loan repayment and additional education with a focus on prevention for health care workers.

We hope that you will use our Coalition as a resource.  Again, thank you for your efforts and the opportunity to present today.