Important issues for SCHSAC members
The SCHSAC Executive Committee with support of the full SCHSAC determined the following issues of importance for the advisory committee and its members as of February 2019. These issues will guide SCHSAC's work plan and engagement going forward. This living document is subject to revision as determined by the SCHSAC Executive Committee.
SCHSAC agrees to direct its focus toward these four issues of importance. Advancing health equity and inclusion of all communities are crosscutting issues in all SCHSAC work.
- Strengthen the public health system
- Promote the value of upstream prevention and the role governmental public health
- Respond to urgent and emerging topics
- Work to build resilient communities
For each issue of importance, the following pages explain why each issue is important to SCHSAC. The SCHSAC work plan is a companion document, which outlines the key steps towards the desired goals for the upcoming 18 months.
Why this is important:
- Variation in local capacity is a threat to our public health system and ultimately the health of Minnesotans.
- The governmental public health system is only as strong as its weakest link; people and diseases do not stay within jurisdictional boundaries.
- Resources are limited; the state and local public health system must maximize available resources and operate as efficiently and effectively as possible.
- Tribal health departments are an important component of Minnesota's governmental public health system and are not always considered and/or included.
Desired goals:
- Foundational public health responsibilities are in place across Minnesota; geography does not affect the quality of public health activities.
- State and local health departments and community health boards understand tribal sovereignty and have positive, collaborative working relationships with tribal nations.
- Minnesota's public health departments are able to recruit, develop and retain a diverse workforce equipped to lead and implement foundational public health responsibilities and community priorities.
Why this is important:
- Protecting the public's health is a core function of government.
- Investments in primary prevention provide a return on investment. Examples include family home visiting, tobacco policies, and immunizations.
- All people deserve the opportunity to be healthy.
- Investments in prevention help the bottom line. For example, early interventions through family home visiting may prevent future out-of-home placement costs.
- Health is everywhere; SCHSAC and public health are part of a larger system that includes other sectors, such as education and transportation.
Desired goals:
- Health is included in policy discussions at all levels of government.
- People find common ground to address important public health issues.
- Prevention receives greater attention from policy makers and the public who support the allocation of funding and resources to prevent disease and promote health.
Why this is important:
- Urgent and emerging needs, such as the addiction crisis or availability of clean water, effect all of us.
- Predicting the need to address urgent or emerging topics cannot always happen, yet SCHSAC must be flexible and act when necessary.
- Urgent and emerging topics occur or originate locally and cross boundaries of jurisdictions.
Desired goals:
- SCHSAC members share urgent and emerging topics with local colleagues and peers.
- Talents, knowledge and innovations are shared and combine local, tribal and state expertise.
Why this is important:
- Resilient communities have greater ability to overcome adversity.
- Everyone deserves the opportunity to live in a thriving, economically stable community.
- Minnesota communities consistently prioritize resiliency as a strategy to address poor health outcomes.
Desired goals:
- Communities unite to address threats to the public's health such as diseases of despair, adverse childhood experiences, housing stability. Focus on health across the life span.
- All Minnesotans live in resilient communities.