Health Dept. focuses on improving health of New Yorkers
07 04 08 - 21:47
By Dan Osburn
Gannett News Service
ALBANY-- Cutting the number of obese people and the number who smoke and covering everyone with health insurance are the keys to improving the overall health of New Yorkers, top health officials said Monday in launching a campaign to make the state healthier.
The officials want to cut the percentage of New Yorkers who are obese from
almost 23 percent now to 15 percent by 2010, adults who smoke from 18 percent to 12 percent in two years and also have everyone covered by health insurance by then.
"There are serious health problems in New York," said Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines. "We have an obesity of obesity in this state."
Smart budgeting, media campaigns and cooperation between state and local health officials will be employed to cut the number of New Yorkers living unhealthy lives, he said.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, bemoaned the fact that the country doesn't seem to be getting good value for all of the money it spends on health care.
"We're the country that spends the most money on health care but we're not the healthiest," she said, citing statistics that ranks the health of Americans 37th in the world.
State officials said the health portion of the state budget, adopted by the Legislature last week, was a significant step in improving the health of New Yorkers.
The budget's "prevention agenda" focused on preventive care, including expanding a health-care policy for low-income children, and funding education programs for people suffering chronic diseases like diabetes or asthma.
"We see a theme here - keep people out of hospitals," said Joseph Baker, a health adviser to Gov. David Paterson.
The state will be joining efforts with local governments to keep better records and assess the primary concerns for those localities, Daines said.
For example, currently both hospitals and county health officials have to keep records of wellness trends and diseases or conditions in the surrounding area, but do their surveys at different times and do not always share records, Daines said. The state is taking steps towards a more unified and collaborative system, he said.
Health Department spokeswoman Diane Mathis said Daines and Insurance Commissioners Eric Dinallo have conducted statewide surveys on how to achieve universal coverage, will soon make recommendations to Paterson and the Legislature.
The state also has to take actions to reduce the number of smokers, Daines said. More than 18 percent of adults and 16 percent of teens smoke currently and that number has to be cut to at least 12 percent by 2010, according to the health department.
Lawmakers have agreed to increase the state cigarette tax by an additional $1.25 in the upcoming budget, but have not voted it into law. Advocates hope that will reduce the number of smokers as well as raise money for the state.
"By making smoking expensive and inconvenient, a higher tax on cigarettes will lead to less children starting and more adults quitting," said Michael Seilback of the American Lung Association of New York State. "As we move into the late stages of the budget, it is imperative that this vital public health measure be included."