One County Embarks on a Ten-Year Effort to Change Its Culture and Its Health

What happens when a county health department sets out to look deeply at the factors that lead to poor health outcomes, develops partnerships with business groups, community organizations and county agencies, and creates an ambitious agenda that wins the backing of county elected officials?

In the case of San Diego, the result is a 10-year plan that is beginning to change the health-related culture, practices and outcomes of a county of three million people.

Today, in the second part of Profiles in Innovation, our series of interviews in Forbes, Nick Macchione and Wilma Wooten of San Diego’s health department tell us about their effort and how it’s based on what they call the “3-4-50 principle.”

Their research shows that three health behaviors lead to four chronic diseases that account for more than 50 percent of deaths. Alter the climate to address the Big 3—poor diet, lack of physical activity and smoking—and you can prevent unnecessary illness and death.
Across the country, health providers and public health leaders are developing cutting-edge ways to address the underlying conditions that play a huge role in determining the health of a community and its residents. In our Profiles in Innovation series, we hear from health leaders who are pioneering new ways to improve the health of whole populations as well as individual patients.

So please check out the series and share it with your colleagues, friends and networks. We’ve created a hashtag for the occasion—#healthyinnovation—and we invite you to use it. Here’s a tweet you’re also welcome to share:

From @preventioninst: Profiles in Innovation: Changing community conditions to improve health #healthyinnovation http://onforb.es/1cVGTMo