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[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45243-45244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-19313]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2018-0082]

Surgeon General's Call to Action: ``Community Health and 
Prosperity''

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the opening of 
a docket to obtain comment on an upcoming Surgeon General's document/
Call to Action with a working title ``Community Health and 
Prosperity''.
    CDC is the lead agency to support the Office of the Surgeon General 
to publish a Call to Action that will be science-informed and 
actionable, outlining a conceptual framework with case examples and 
available evidence on the business case for investing in community 
health. The goal of the Call to Action is to: Clearly demonstrate that 
investments in community health have the potential to improve the 
health and prosperity of communities and issue a call to action to the 
private sector and local policy makers for investment in communities, 
unilaterally or as part of multi-sector or other consortium, to improve 
community health.

DATES: Written comments must be received before November 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2018-
0082 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Martin J. Vincent, Office of the Associate Director 
for Policy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, Mail Stop D-28, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
     Instructions: All submissions received must include the 
agency name and Docket Number. All relevant comments received will be 
posted without change to http://regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. For access to the docket to read background 
documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martin J. Vincent, Office of the 
Associate Director for Policy, Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mail Stop D-28, Atlanta, Georgia 
30329. Telephone: 404-639-1455, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation

    Interested persons or organizations are invited to submit written 
views, recommendations, and data about how investing in communities can 
improve health and prosperity. Examples may include:
    (1) Available data, evidence and/or experience(s) (a) that suggest 
private sector investments in community health have (directly or 
indirectly) improved health and prosperity of the workforce and 
communities; (b) that healthier communities help private sector 
businesses to be more efficient, profitable, successful, or 
competitive; (c) description of data systems and evaluation frameworks 
that might contribute to supporting community health investment 
decisions, evaluating success and impact; and (d) case studies, 
examples, reviews and meta-analyses, data linkages, promising and 
emerging ideas, and best practices;
    (2) Types of investments the private sector and local policy makers 
can consider to improve health and wellness of employees and families, 
and community well-being and prosperity;
    (3) Types of partners or coalitions that have invested in community 
health and the scope of their collaborations contributions;
    (4) Descriptions of important barriers to and facilitators of 
success;

[[Page 45244]]

    (5) Private sector and local policy maker rationales for making 
investments in community health; and
    (6) Successful efforts by local policy makers to promote and 
sustain private sector investments in community health.
    Please note that comments received, including attachments and other 
supporting materials, are part of the public record and subject to 
public disclosure. Comments will be posted at https://www.regulations.gov. Therefore, do not include any information in your 
comment or supporting materials that you consider confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure. If you include your name, contact 
information, or other information that identifies you in the body of 
your comments, that information will be on public display. CDC will 
review all submissions and may choose to redact or withhold submissions 
containing private or proprietary information, such as Social Security 
numbers, medical information, inappropriate language, or duplicate/near 
duplicate examples of a mass-mail campaign. CDC will carefully consider 
all comments submitted and may include relevant information in the Call 
to Action.

Background

    America's prosperity is being hampered by preventable chronic 
diseases and behavioral health issues. Life expectancy at birth dropped 
in the United States for a second consecutive year in 2016. Preliminary 
data indicate that age-adjusted death rates continued to rise in 2017, 
which is likely to mark a third straight year of declining life 
expectancy. The U.S. lags behind comparable high-income countries on a 
range of health outcomes including life expectancy despite spending 
more on health care. About 6 in 10 American adults have at least one 
chronic health condition, and these people account for 90% of total 
health care spending. While chronic diseases affect all populations, 
they are not evenly distributed. Disease rates vary by race, ethnicity, 
education, geography and income level, with the most disadvantaged 
Americans often suffering the highest burden of disease.
    However, only about 20% of the factors that influence a person's 
health can be addressed by health care and the remaining 80% reflect 
socioeconomic, environmental or behavioral factors. Focusing on 
strategies that address the social and community conditions could 
improve health, life expectancy, and quality of life, while also 
reducing related health care costs and productivity losses. Investing 
in communities to improve the health and well-being of people could 
also revitalize and improve economic opportunity, enhancing prosperity 
in the community and for its residents and businesses.
    Although there are published literature and several ongoing public, 
private and philanthropic initiatives examining how investments in 
community health can enhance well-being and economic prosperity, there 
has not been a thorough assessment that compiles the evidence and best 
practices to illustrate benefits for the private sector and local 
policy makers. The Surgeon General's Call to Action is expected to 
bridge that gap and inspire more investments by the private sector and 
local policy makers in community health.

    Dated: August 31, 2018.
Lauren Hoffmann,
Acting Executive Secretary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-19313 Filed 9-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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