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Press Release: LULAC Supports the Recommendations of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America.
April 2, 2009
For more information contact:
Iris Chavez, 202/833-6130, ichavez@lulac.org
Washington, DC - LULAC is very pleased to support the recommendations of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America.
The members of the Commission should be applauded for helping to expand the
discussion surrounding how we reform the country’s health system. In a
departure from the prevailing perception, the Commission looked beyond the
medical system and found that where we live, learn, work and play has a
greater impact on how long and how well we live than medical care.
Today the Commission is releasing 10 recommendations for dramatic
improvements in the health of all Americans, particularly those who face the
greatest barriers to good health. We believe that our own mission to
advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence,
housing, health and civil rights of the Hispanic population of the United
States is included in the goals of the Commission.
The recommendations are a welcome addition to
the country’s health reform debate, and we look forward to working with the
members of the Commission, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, policymakers and other stakeholders to make these proposals a reality.
Recommendations from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America
Ensure that all children have high-quality early developmental support (child care, education and other services). This will require committing substantial additional resources to meet the early developmental needs particularly of children in low-income families. Fund and design WIC and SNAP (Food Stamps) programs to meet the needs of hungry families for nutritious food. Create public-private partnerships to open and sustain full-service grocery stores in communities without access to healthful foods. Feed children only healthy foods in schools. Require all schools (K-12) to include time for all children to be physically active every day. Become a smoke-free nation. Eliminating smoking remains of the most important contributions to longer, healthier lives. Create “healthy community” demonstrations to evaluate the effects of a full complement of health-promoting policies and programs. Develop a “health impact” rating for housing and infrastructure projects that reflects the projected effects on community health and provides incentives for projects that earn the rating. Integrate safety and wellness into every aspect of community life. Ensure that decision-makers in all sectors have the evidence they need to build health into public and private policies and practices.
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League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has approximately 115,000
members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. It is the largest and
oldest Hispanic organization in the United States. LULAC advances the
economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health,
housing and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based
programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide. The
organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups. For more
information, go to http://www.lulac.org
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