Assignment: Health Gap and Ranking

Length: 3 pages (body of report)

Healthy People 2020

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in the spring of 2010 and was followed later in the year by the launch of a 10-year agenda for improving the Nation's health: Healthy People 2020. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a department of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is intended, in part, to help identify national health improvement priorities, strengthen policies and improve practices, achieve health equity and improve the health of all groups.

Information available at the following links will be used in the preparation of this assignment:

• 2020 Leading Health Indicator Topics
• Who's Leading the Leading Health Indicators?
• Public Health 3.0.
• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps website.

Select your state on the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps website:

• Review the most recent state Summary Report.

• Review the Health Gaps Report for your state, paying close attention to the Highlighted Health Gaps section that are considered to be meaningful gaps that policymakers and leaders may want to examine more closely.

Prepare a report discussing the meaningful health gaps in your state and how health policies supporting community and national health can help close those gaps. Your report should also include a discussion of differences in health outcomes and health factors between the county ranked #1 in your state and the one ranked the lowest, suggesting county health policies that could help improve the ranking of the latter. Finally, your report should conclude with a summary of how public policies support community and national health.

The body of the report should be 3-4 pages, excluding the title page and references page. The County Health Rankings and the Health Gaps Report must be listed on the references page along with any other references you use in preparing the report. Use the following format for these required references:

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (insert copyright year). (insert state name) Health Gaps Report.

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (insert copyright year). (insert state name) Summary Report.