“We Don’t Have the Power to Build a Culture of Health Without You”
The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action convened some 60 representatives of education, nursing, and business on Capitol Hill Thursday to learn about a Culture of Health and how it fits together with efforts to improve health and health care through nursing.
Michelle Larkin, who oversees programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, described the Culture of Health as a movement “that every American can and should be part of.” Noting the deep connections nurses have to their communities, Larkin said to the nurse leaders in the room, “We don’t have the power to build a culture of health without you…. we need your ingenuity and creativity and guidance.” The Culture of Health is a RWJF vision.
Larkin’s comments made clear that the work done by each of the panelists who followed her, as well as the charge of each person in the room, was helping define as well as bring to life the movement called the Culture of Health.
Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior vice president and director, AARP Public Policy Institute and chief strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America and Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior adviser for nursing, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and director, Campaign for Action, provided an update on theCampaign and led the session.
Panelists included:
- Julie Willems Van Dijk, associate scientist, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, who explained the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps program she co-directs gives people tools to put a culture of health into action in their lives
- Rodney Harrell, director, Livable Communities, AARP, who said the Livability Index lets people measure the health of their neighborhood
- Susan Kosman, chief nursing officer, Aetna, said that her company has a broad definition of health that includes employees’ financial situation too
- Charles Montreuil, vice president, Enterprise Rewards, Best Buy, who spoke of how his firm sees building a culture of health and wellness as good for business overall
- Charlotte Parent, director, New Orleans Health Department, noting that New Orleans is smoke-free, vape-free, has more bike lines, and is tackling violence as a health problem
- Victoria Niederhauser, dean and professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Nursing, talked about how nursing professors are bringing together architects, law enforcement, and other industry to build health in Clay County, KY.