Living with a chronic physical and/or mental health condition can be lonely, overwhelming and, if not managed successfully, debilitating. Have you ever thought, there must be a better way, when it comes to managing ongoing health conditions? People with chronic health conditions deal with symptoms that affect their quality of life daily. Thousands of South Dakotans live with at least one chronic health condition; while many continue to manage multiple chronic conditions, or become a caregiver for those lacking the skills or resources to properly manage their health. Additionally, the top five leading causes of death in South Dakota are due to chronic disease. Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, they are also among the most preventable.

Over the past twenty years the global burden of morbidity and mortality has shifted from communicable diseases to noncommunicable or chronic disease, with heart disease and cancer as the leading causes of death. Regardless of the focus of the shift, public health still is a necessary ingredient to addressing and improving the health of populations. Increasing healthcare costs, health inequities and risk factors for chronic disease, e.g. physical inactivity, poor nutrition, or tobacco use, reminds us of the value and need for public health efforts. If you are a public health professional reading this…you might be thinking…of course!

According to the National Prevention Council, a key goal for promoting health and well-being in our country is ensuring “all residents live, work, and learn in an environment that provides safe and accessible options for physical activity, regardless of age, income, or disability status.”

Our built environment includes physical resources such as buildings, homes, roads, utilities, sidewalks, parks, open spaces and other amenities within communities. Improving the built environment supports the integration of physical activity into our daily routines like walking or biking to work, school, grocery stores or parks.

Over that past few months, I have had the opportunity to learn and engage with a diverse group of professionals at national, state, and local conferences focused on a common theme – the “why” and “how” to engage in multi-sector collaboration to improve population health.  If you have been paying attention, this theme is emerging in some facet in conferences being held across the nation this year – e.g. NACCHO Annual 2017:  Bridging Clinical Medicine and Population Health or the 2017 Practical Playbook National Meeting: Improving Population Health, Collaborative Strategies that Work.