Latest news with #deBeaumontFoundation
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Omaha Earns First-Ever CityHealth Medal for Advancing Policies that Promote Community Health
City recognized for leadership in advancing six health-promoting policies The City of Omaha Receives its First CityHealth Overall Medal CityHealth's Akeem Anderson presents a CityHealth Overall Bronze Medal to members of the Omaha City Council. From left: Ron Hug, Don Rowe, Akeem Anderson, Pete Festersen, Danny Begley, Aimee Melton, and Brinker Harding. Photo by Rebecca S. Gratz. Omaha City Council President Pete Festersen accepts CityHealth Overall Medal CityHealth's Akeem Anderson (left) and Tom Martin (right) present Omaha City Council President Pete Festersen (center) with the city's first CityHealth Overall Medal. Photo by Rebecca S. Gratz. Omaha, Nebraska, May 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OMAHA – MAY 6, 2025 – Today, CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, awarded the City of Omaha its first overall bronze medal — recognizing the city's leadership for advancing six high-quality policies that support the health and well-being of its residents. The announcement was made at today's city council meeting, where councilmembers accepted the overall bronze medal and celebrated this significant milestone. In 2024, Omaha was the only city in the nation to earn its first overall CityHealth medal, joining 46 other cities across the country receiving overall bronze, silver, or gold medals. How Omaha Earned Its Overall Bronze Medal Cities that earn CityHealth recognition show a commitment to using policy to build healthier communities where everyone has the opportunity to live longer, better lives. CityHealth annually assesses cities on the presence and strength of 12 health-promoting policy solutions that provide an evidence-backed framework that cities can use to promote health equity and address key public health concerns such as affordable housing, greenspace access, smoke-free indoor air, and more. Cities that earn at least five gold, silver, or bronze individual medals across the 12 policies receive an overall medal. Omaha earned six policy medals (complete results below), including two golds, one silver, and three bronzes, qualifying the city for an overall bronze medal. It joins 17 other cities earning an overall bronze medal in CityHealth's most recent assessment. What Leaders are Saying About Omaha's Achievement 'CityHealth's policy solutions harness the greatest strengths of our cities — their innovation, collaboration, and deep commitment to the people they serve,' said CityHealth Executive Director Katrina Forrest, JD. 'Today, we proudly celebrate Omaha's leadership and momentum in creating a healthier future. This recognition is not just about what the city has achieved — it's also about building a legacy of health that can benefit communities for generations to come.' 'It's inspiring to see Omaha's leaders come together with a shared commitment to making their city healthier for all,' said de Beaumont Foundation President and CEO Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH. 'City leaders understand that policy isn't just a response to challenges — it's a proactive, powerful tool that can help build a healthier, thriving future for all. Congratulations to Omaha for leading the way and setting an example for communities across the country.'
Washington Post
29-04-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Americans expect to lose trust in public health under new leadership
Leadership changes at federal health agencies are eroding trust in public health recommendations, with more Americans expecting to lose confidence than gain it, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation. The findings come as public health guidance is under intense scrutiny during a growing measles outbreak and renewed debate over the safety of vaccines. More than 4 in 10 U.S. adults (44 percent) said having new people in charge of federal public health agencies will make them less trustful of public health recommendations, while 28 percent expected to trust them more. The survey of more than 3,300 Americans also found a sharp partisan divide: 76 percent of Democrats said they will lose trust, compared with 57 percent of Republicans who expect to gain more faith in agency recommendations. The poll was conducted from March 10 to 31 and has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points. The poll found that the public is almost evenly divided on whether the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will function better over the next four years: 48 percent predicted improvement, and 52 percent expected decline. Among Republicans, 80 percent thought the CDC will function better, while 83 percent of Democrats thought it will perform worse. Even among those who are optimistic that the CDC will function better, there is little confidence that promises will come to fruition. Minorities of respondents were 'very confident' that the CDC will reduce financial waste (33 percent) and base recommendations on good research that has been previously ignored (28 percent). Among those expecting worse outcomes for the CDC, concerns were widespread: 76 percent were very concerned that politics might influence CDC health recommendations; 75 percent worried that programs will be excessively scaled back; 72 percent were concerned that serious threats such as infectious-disease outbreaks might be downplayed; and 70 percent feared that the public will lose access to important health information. Among those who are optimistic the CDC will function better, less than half were 'very confident' that the agency will reduce financial waste or the influence of politics on its health recommendations. Despite the potential waning of trust in federal health recommendations, Gillian SteelFisher, who conducted the poll, said the findings underscore that most Americans still believe in public health efforts. 'They don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater,' SteelFisher said. 'A lot of people actually have some trust in public health, and they may want to make changes, but it doesn't mean they want to radically alter them or eliminate the agencies.' Wide majorities of Americans across party lines said priority should be given to preventing chronic disease, preparing for pandemics, reducing maternal and infant mortality, and ensuring the safety of tap water, according to the poll. The divide in expectations extends beyond federal agencies to state and local public health departments. Most Republicans are optimistic, while most Democrats expect that the agencies will function worse. The growing polarization raises concerns about the ability to deliver consistent public health messaging across different regions and communities, experts said. The waning trust also could undermine efforts to control pandemics, combat chronic disease and protect vulnerable populations, said Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. Osterholm also said the poll underscores how highly fluid the public health situation is. 'If you did a survey every week, you might see changes,' he said. 'We have a problem with understanding what public health does, and public health makes recommendations, not mandates,' he said. Rebuilding trust in federal health agencies is possible, experts said, but it will require a lengthy and deliberate effort. They caution that without real changes in communication and leadership strategy, distrust could worsen. Leaders such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have fueled skepticism with mixed messaging, which some say further complicates confidence in federal health responses. In March, Kennedy said in a television interview that the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella causes 'adverse events.' In April, however, he wrote in a post on X after the deaths of two children from measles that the MMR vaccine is the 'most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.' Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS under President Barack Obama, said restoring trust in public health will be a major challenge after years of erosion, both in the United States and worldwide, and will require a nuanced approach. Part of the difficulty lies in the evolving role of traditional public health messengers, who face a fast-moving information environment. Lurie warned that efforts to rebuild confidence will be even more difficult without clear and trusted voices. Sandro Galea, a population-health scientist and dean at Washington University School of Public Health, said science needs to clearly explain what experts agree on and carefully communicate uncertainties when there is disagreement. 'I think the American public is smart and sophisticated enough to be able to handle uncertainty,' Galea said. 'We should all have the clarity of mind to know that some things science knows, and some things science doesn't know.'
