Program Evaluation Assessment Trust for Americas Health

Running Head: Program Evaluation Assessment

Program Evaluation Assessment 2

Trust for America’s Health

Part 1

Trust for America\\\'s Health was formed by Benjamin Spencer in 2001 to attend to serious health problems of national concern brought about by chronic diseases that contribute more than fifty percent of the total deaths annually in the United States. The target population is usually the old with 65 years and above being on priority. The most common diseases addressed by Trust for America\\\'s Health include diabetes, asthma, cancer, and Parkinson\\\'s, that cost Americans huge sums totaling around $1 trillion every year. Therefore, the trust for American health advocates for effective response and prevention to chronic diseases through public health systems improvement. Trust for America’s Health promotes the formation of the health tracking systems throughout the United States through the engagement with the federal public health, state, and local agencies to track the various trends of the chronic diseases and respective environmental factors through the country. Such data enables the health agencies to detect the at-risk populations, alert communities about the health crises, identify the disease clusters and associated parameters, and develop prevention mechanisms (Levi et al. 2015).

In addition, Trust for America’s Health also engages in other programs like public health leadership, which aims to strengthen public health response to Bioterrorism and equip the General surgeon\\\'s office to assist the communities in preparing relevant health infrastructure to counter biological and chemical attacks. Recently, Trust for America’s Health published a report indicating that the United States government does not have any national approach to control and counter the animal borne-disease like Mad cow, Lyme disease, and West Nile Virus even though such diseases had become life-threatening. The report called for the changes in policy to the nation\\\'s preparedness and a comprehensive tracking network that enables health officials to detect the origin of a particular disease and facilitate its diagnosis and treatment to contain the spread. Also, according to the Trust for America’s Health report, titled \\\"promoting health and cost control in states,\\\" policies that should be enacted to promote good health and reduce the cost of healthcare are addressed (Levi et al. 2015).

Moreover, there are socio-cultural factors that influence health status for the aging populations, particularly with chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes, amongst others. For instance, an individual\\\'s participation in various social and physical activities seemed to improve health status amongst the old; therefore, personal behaviors still contribute to individual health. In addition, for successful aging with minimal diseases and limited predisposing factors, the aging populations should keep a well-balanced diet and regularly engage in whole-body exercise to improve immunity and physique. Such initiatives will help them fight some of these chronic diseases effectively. On the other hand, the essential requirement to successful aging includes lack of disability and diseases and the absence of predisposing factors. Also, is the Continued engagement in the productive interests and social activities together with the maintenance of cognitive and physical function. Such criteria are predictive and interdependent of the other. In consideration of relationships among the physical health in older people, positive health conducts, and social participation, time spent outdoor significantly contributes to improved health. As a result, the aging population is encouraged to spend time out in clubs and other leisure areas to improve their health status (Trust for America\\\'s Health, 2009).

Trust for America’s Health has also continued to advance optimal health for all communities and individuals in the United States to prevent injury and diseases a priority. Trust for America’s Health also envisions a country that respects the well-being and health of all citizens, particularly the elderly, a country where health equity is the foundation to making policies across all levels in society. Apart from lifetime chronic diseases, Trust for America’s Health equally addresses substance abuse issues, public health emergency preparedness, suicide, infectious diseases, obesity, public health funding, public health policy, and health equity, amongst many more. Trust for America’s Health has equally advocated for public health policies that impact the whole nation on how health programs and policies enhance healthy communities and individuals irrespective of their geographical location. Trust for America’s Health works with new and traditional partners to enhance and maintain its work on high-impact health issues. Subsequently, Trust for America’s Health is committed to improving healthcare equity by addressing social conditions where people live, grow, work, and age through a multisectoral approach. Trust for America’s Health has fundamental principles guided by values of independence, trust, innovation, equity, evidence-based, financial stewardship, and partnerships (Levi et al. 2015).

Trust for America’s Health usually receives its financial aid from several major foundations like the Pew Charitable Trusts, Joyce Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Palmer Foundation, and the Rockefeller Family Fund. However, some specific projects also at times receive special funding from prominent organizations. For instance, The John A. Hartford Foundation supported the launch of an action network and public health learning that is age-friendly in Florida in the year 2018. The learning helped expand the public health role in promoting the well-being and health of older adults. Also, when Trust for America’s Health hosted a webinar series to enhance health equity to improve well-being and health through lessons from cutting-edge doctrines, the organization received financial support from renowned donors like the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the California Endowment (Trust for America\\\'s Health, 2009).

Remarkably, to respond to the increasing need for suicide and substance abuse prevention strategies, Trust for America’s Health established a leading well-being group from several organizations: representatives of social services, public health, suicide prevention, mental health, community-based organizations, and substance misuse. The working has supported various population-level strategies to terminate the first onset of addiction and mental health challenges by improving the communities\\\' economic, physical, and social environment and enhancing greater attention to essential health equity and preventions (Levi et al. 2015).

Part 2

EVALUATION OF TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH MOMENTUM TOWARDS A PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM THAT IS AGE-FRIENDLY

Should The Health of Older Americans Be of Concern and Addressed by The Public Health?

As a result of several factors, including the declining fertility rates, the elderly demographic is one the fastest growing population in the United States. Consequently, all the sectors should focus on enhancing healthy aging like justice, business, and healthcare. However, considering the contributions of public health in assisting Americans to live longer, public health opts to contribute to the productivity and health of the citizens significantly. Historically, there has never been a significant focus on older adults\\\' health by the health sector. The general goal of Trust for America’s Health launching health initiative, which is age-friendly, is to ensure that the well-being and health of older adults become a public priority (De Biasi et al. 2020).

What is Trust for America’s Health?

Trust for America’s Health is non-partisan and non-profit advocacy and research institution that enhances optimal health for every community and person; thus, making prevention of injury and illness a national priority. Due to the increasing elderly demographics in the United States, including health challenges faced, Trust for America’s Health strategic plan concentrates on promoting the well-being and health of the elderly (Trust for America\\\'s Health, 2009).

The John Hartford Foundation

The John A. Hartford Foundation is both a partner and a funder to the Trust for America\\\'s Health, particularly the Florida project. The John A. Hartford Foundation is national philanthropy, private and non-partisan entity committed to enhancing elderly care. Within the field of health and aging, the foundation has three areas of priority: provision of support to family caregivers, improving end of life care and severe illnesses, and providing health systems that are age-friendly (De Biasi et al. 2020).

Age-Friendly Public Health Achievements to Date.

Trust for America’s health and the John Hartford foundation have created a framework supportive to public health\\\'s role expansion in promoting healthcare, well-being, and health of the elderly; Both the Trust for America’s health and the John Hartford foundation initiated a national partnership to advocate for this framework through the means of practice and policy change; both Trust for America\\\'s health and the John Hartford Foundation started the initiative to connect both the age-friendly health systems and the age-friendly communities movements to the public health; also launched a prototype at Florida as a prototype to pilot as well as the age-friendly public health systems (Trust for America\\\'s Health, 2009).

Establishing an age-friendly health framework.

Trust for America\\\'s Health formed a group with membership derived from: state, national, and local public health officials, advocates, aging experts together with service providers; plus, healthcare experts to evaluate how public health could contribute a significant role towards promoting the well being and health of the elderly Americans and how it could complement and learn from other sector’s works. Subsequently, the convening led to creating a framework for a public health system that is age-friendly and outlined various roles the public health could achieve in conjunction with the aging services to look into opportunities and challenges of the aging society. Moreover, the convening affirmed the necessity for a public health system that is age-friendly, recognizes aging as a severe issue of public health and leverages its capacities and skills to promote the well-being and health of the elderly (De Biasi et al. 2020).

Public Health Advisory Committee (Age-Friendly)

Trust for America\\\'s Health did form an advisory committee comprised of Florida-based experts of the aging sector, researchers, health care, and public health professionals to provide strategic guidance and advice on the work. The majority of these people were part of those who helped establish the framework, and all of them continue to share vital connections and provide counsel to scale the Florida pilot (De Biasi et al. 2020).