Aligning Efforts—
Statewide Commission
Pat Simmons, MS, RD, LD
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Commission on
Child Health and Wellness
Establish a commission to oversee
implementation of the subcommittee’s
recommended actions, study
effectiveness of obesity prevention
strategies, and provide an ongoing
forum for education and future actions.
What?
Commission:
A group of people who have been given the
official job of finding information about
something or controlling something.
How?
• Actionable by legislation or state agency
• Through Department of Health and Senior
Services (DHSS)
• Aligns with DHSS mission to protect and
promote the public’s health.
How?
• Diverse representation from:
– State agencies
– Health care providers
– Community agencies
– Local governments
– Industry
– Public
How?
• Prevent duplication of efforts
• Work in partnership with other statewide
groups working to prevent childhood
obesity
– Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition
(MOCAN)
– Missouri Convergence Partnership
– Pioneering Healthier Communities
Leadership Group
About MOCAN
• A coalition comprised of representatives from statewide and
local agencies, institutions, organizations, other coalitions or
individuals who work together to advance the goals and
objectives of the statewide plan, Preventing Obesity and
Other Chronic Diseases, Missouri’s Nutrition and Physical
Activity Plan.
• Vision
The health and quality of life of Missourians will be
significantly improved through healthy eating and active
living.
• Mission
MoCAN fosters and supports healthy eating and active living
through policy and environmental changes to measurably
improve the health and quality of life of Missouri residents.
About MOCAN
• Governed by Steering Committee
• Implementation plans through workgroups:
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Schools/Child Care
Health Care
Messaging
Policy
Worksites
Built Environment
Food Systems
Why?
Framework for Implementation of Diet,
Physical Activity and Health Strategies
Population-Based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention, WHO 2012
Why?
Recommendations are beyond the scope of
one organization
• …having a multi-sectoral national or regional
level plan with clear commitments and lines
of accountability is critical to addressing
issues across the life course.
Report of the First Meeting of the WHO Ending Childhood
Obesity Ad hoc Working Group on Science and Evidence
Need for Structural Approaches
• Structures within governments to support
policies and interventions should be
viewed as necessary investments, or core
infrastructure, for obesity prevention.
Population-Based Approaches to Childhood
Obesity Prevention, WHO 2012
Why?
• Because childhood obesity is multisectoral in
nature cross-sectoral governance structures (e.g. a
cross-government obesity taskforce) are likely to
be necessary to coordinate actions and gain
support across different portfolios of government
at national or state levels.
• In addition, governments need to take the lead in
coordinating relevant activities across different
governmental ministries, nongovernmental
organizations and private sectors.
Population-Based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention,
WHO 2012
WHO Population-Based Approaches
Structures to Support
Policies & Interventions
• Leadership
• Health in all policies
• Dedicated funding for
health promotion
• NCD monitoring systems
• Workforce capacity
• Networks and
partnerships
• Standards and guidelines
What?
Commission will:
• Harness existing resources
• Achieve more widespread reach
• Enable joint planning, system-wide
problem solving
Potential Commission Responsibilities
• Monitor availability of treatment services,
costs and barriers
• Identify and facilitate coordination of
public-private resources
• Recommend policy actions
• Assure evaluation of efforts
Other Potential Responsibilities
• Monitor progress on select indicators and
strategies
• Advance and support collaboration
• Enhance collaboration—Involving the
community and collaborating with its
members are cornerstones of efforts to
improve public health
– “community” can be used in a more general way,
illustrated by refer-ring to stakeholders such as
academics, public health professionals, and
policy makers as communities (Principles of
Community Engagement, CDC)
One possible way
forward…
Chronic Disease Coordinating Council
Purpose is to:
• Identify Missouri’s priorities for policy
development and statewide interventions
that address shared factors associated with
prevention and/or management of chronic
health conditions
• Inform DHSS leadership and partners about
opportunities to align resources that
optimize investment in public health
strategies which will reduce the burden of
chronic disease during the next decade
Chronic Disease Coordinating Council
• Formed as a result of strategic planning
process around reducing chronic disease
burden
• First meeting in March 2014
• Brainstormed emerging policy issues and
priority issues for future work
Coordinating Council Members
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Department of Social Services, Missouri HealthNet Division
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Missouri Foundation for Health
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Missouri Primary Care Association
Department of Mental Health
Missouri Association of Local Public Health Agencies
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Washington University
St. Louis University
University of Missouri Extension
Department of Health Senior Services Staff
• …that when experienced community leaders talk
across geographic regions, share priorities, make
collective decisions, learn from each other and,
ultimately, take action together, their common voice
will be deafening. The result will be a strong,
sustainable movement, with local leaders and
statewide advocates working side-by-side to improve
the health of all.
California Convergence: Promise and Progress in Building a Movement
http://www.phi.org/uploads/application/files/6mfmy94g6ykiz0uygi3li2nor6x0
n8iv27nbppvv96y1of5o7a.pdf