TRUST FOR AMERICAS HEALTH
1730 M STREET NW SUITE 900, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 www.tfah.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Trust for Americas Health promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.

In 2019, Trust for Americas Health (TFAH) continued to advance its mission to promote optimal health for every person and community and make the prevention of illness and injury a national priority. As a nonprofit, nonpartisan public health policy, research, and advocacy organization, TFAH envisions a nation that values the health and well-being of all and where prevention and health equity are foundational to policymaking at all levels of society. Across the range of public health issues TFAH addressed, including obesity, substance misuse and suicide, public health emergency preparedness, health equity, prevention and public health policy, public health funding, chronic disease, and infectious disease, TFAH promoted public health policies that affect the entire nation, with an emphasis on how public health policies and programs can promote healthy individuals and communities regardless of geography.TFAH maintains and enhances its work with traditional and new partners on high-impact health issues. Throughout its efforts, TFAH is also committed to advancing health equity and addressing the social determinants of health which are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, including through collaborative, multisectoral approaches. TFAHs work is guided by values of equity, independence, evidence-based, trust, partnerships, innovation, and financial stewardship.TFAHs projects focused on advancing an evidence-based public health system that is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century. TFAH successfully published evidence-based reports; developed and advanced effective policy recommendations and approaches; convened learning collaboratives; spearheaded targeted initiatives and outreach; collaborated with partners at the national, state, and local levels; and produced educational resources.Among TFAHs accomplishments in 2019:TFAH continued to partner with The John A. Hartford Foundation to facilitate a pilot in Florida demonstrating the feasibility of the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) framework designed to guide and inform the expansion of public health roles in aging through Floridas county health system. This effort has included creating and supporting collaborations between the public health and aging sectors, collecting and disseminating data on the states older adult population, and ensuring all planning and programming is done with an aging lens. This successful pilot validates the importance of public healths engagement in promoting the health of older adults, and, importantly, proves it is possible to garner the support of elected and appointed officials and community-based organizations, establishing the potential for sustainability and more widespread adoption.TFAH continued to co-lead the Healthy Students, Promising Futures Learning Collaborative, which includes 15 states. The Learning Collaborative brings together state departments of education, state Medicaid agencies, and local school districts to improve equity in health and educational outcomes by increasing access to Medicaid services in schools and by promoting safe and supportive school environments. The Healthy Students, Promising Futures website was launched during the year as a hub of resources for education and public health agencies, educators, the social services sector, and other stakeholders nationwide.TFAH planned and hosted national webinars, including: o Promoting Health and Cost Control in States: Exploring the Health and Economic Impacts of Tobacco Pricing Strategies. The webinar highlighted the current legal landscape of tobacco pricing strategies, the health impacts of tobacco pricing strategies, and how advocates are working at the local and state levels to reduce tobacco use. o State of Obesity 2019: Better Policies for a Healthier America. The webinar addressed the latest national and state obesity trends and rates, highlighted promising approaches localities have used to ensure healthy communities, and offered policy recommendations that incorporate innovative approaches that help Americans lead healthier lives. Through a joint project between TFAHs Promoting Health and Cost Control in States (PHACCS) Initiative and the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple Universitys Beasley School of Law, TFAH completed and released state-by-state legal analysis datasets on two of the PHACCS reports recommended policies: tobacco pricing and syringe service programs.TFAH published and disseminated a series of reports and issue briefs, including:1.Pain in the Nation: Addressing a Crisis: Cross-Sector Strategies to Prevent Adolescent Substance Use and Suicide: The report finds that while progress has been made in reducing some risky behaviors, adolescent suicide and substance misuse rates remain high and in some cases are climbing. The report calls for the expansion of evidence-based and cross-sector strategies in order to save lives. 2.The State of Obesity 2019: Better Policies for a Healthier America: This 16th annual report summarizes national and state level obesity trends and documented that obesity rates among adults are at historic highs and that there is an urgent need to increase evidence-based obesity prevention programs. The report includes a special feature on racial and ethnic disparities in obesity and advancing health equity.3.Pain in the Nation: Alcohol and Drug Misuse and Suicide and the Millennial Generation: This report focuses on young adults, ages 20 to 34, and finds that since the late 1990s, deaths from alcohol and drug misuse and suicide have been steadily on the rise for all age groups, including millennials. The report calls for new and specific interventions aimed at reducing these deaths of despair amongst young adults.4.The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on Americas Public Health System: This report examines federal, state, and local public health funding trends and recommends needed investments and policy actions to prioritize prevention and effectively address 21st century health threats. It documents the chronic underfunding of the nations public health infrastructure.5.Pain in the Nation Update Brief on the Drug, Alcohol, and Suicide Crises: This issue brief examines the most recent data of drug overdose deaths, alcohol-related deaths, and suicides and concludes that such deaths have reached the highest level ever recorded. The report recommends several policy actions to prevent deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide.6.Promoting Health and Cost Control in States: This report recommends 13 evidence-based policies to inform state policymakers and public health advocates of effective state policies to improve health and control costs in a relatively short period of time. The report provides detailed information on each of the 13 recommended evidence-based policies, including descriptions of the policies, summaries of health and economic evidence, case examples, and considerations for implementation.7.Ready or Not 2019: Protecting the Publics Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism: This report provides an annual assessment of states public health and emergency readiness. It documents that all states have made progress in preparedness since 9/11, but also highlights pressing needs for additional action, particularly as weather-related and other public health emergencies become more frequent.

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