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2000 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 260
Requesting the Governor, with the support and assistance from participants in the Virginia Turning Point initiative, to encourage and facilitate the development of a Virginia Center for Community Health by the public and private sectors.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 12, 2000
Agreed to by the Senate, February 23, 2000

WHEREAS, in recent years the Commonwealth of Virginia has enjoyed robust economic growth; and

WHEREAS, maintaining a healthy workforce and optimizing the health of our communities are key elements essential to sustaining and enhancing our economy in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, during the twentieth century, public health contributed substantially to improved health for Virginia citizens; and

WHEREAS, public health is affected by the dramatic changes in health care delivery; and

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon public health to redefine its roles and responsibilities; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Turning Point initiative was established through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson and W. K. Kellogg Foundations to develop a strategic plan for public health in the next century; and

WHEREAS, participants of the Virginia Turning Point initiative and its steering committee, comprised of twenty-five stakeholders groups, spent the past two years gathering critical information about the health needs of communities from citizens, businesses, educators, advocates, community-based organizations, the faith community and others interested in enhancing community health; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the collection of this information, it was learned that access to care, communication and health education, communicable disease control, environmental health and health information are critical components to a healthy Virginia; and

WHEREAS, continuous community health improvement requires broad participation from a variety of constituent groups and innovative public/private partnerships; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Turning Point initiative partnership is working to institutionalize the gains made through this innovative effort by creating the Virginia Center for Community Health to implement public health improvement strategies; and

WHEREAS, efforts undertaken by the Center would focus on statewide priorities as well as individual community health needs in a consistent, evidence-based manner; and

WHEREAS, the Center would provide a means to focus on essential public health research currently not underway in Virginia; offer innovative training and community health improvement; and advocate for disease prevention and health promotion strategies throughout Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the development of the Center would ensure that citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia are able to lead the healthiest lives possible through the joint efforts of the public and private sectors; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Governor, with the support and assistance from participants in the Virginia Turning Point initiative, be encouraged to facilitate the development of a Virginia Center for Community Health by the public and private sectors; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor and the Commissioner of the Department of Health so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly in this matter.