Keep health alive

As the health-care crusade approaches the homestretch, and the House and Senate work in tandem to deliver on the President's promise of change, no one is quite certain what reform, if any, will materialize. Will legislators balk at the public option and fashion a less objectionable bill? Or will ninth-inning political wizardry string together incentives for lawmakers to be daring? Whether conservatives or progressives win out is secondary. The more relevant and crucial challenge is whether we as a nation will move the barometer toward health and well-being and by deliberate action create livable, more sustainable communities.

Our lives depend on it. And, in the words of the famed politician and civic leader, we must labor -- that is -- politick, persuade, campaign, organize and fight to "keep health alive!"

In an age when the environmental bottom-line is in vogue, I am left to wonder if health is chic enough to preoccupy the public's attention. With talk of access, quality and cost, all worthwhile topics, there remains a sizable void in the collective consciousness regarding issues of healthy living, prevention and wellness. I ask, is health really a care? We decry governmental takeovers, champion privacy rights and protest intrusions which threaten personal sanctity. Still, matters of health and well-being lack the gravitas to compete a midst the fanfare.

Given the legislative cards on the table, any current proposals passed into law will not result in immediate health policy or industry reforms. Rather, there will be a lag between enactment and delivery of goods. Whether the public is aware of this political reality is dubious. Even so, legislation does not equate good health. Instead designated leadership and collective voices -- of elected officials, private citizens, public institutions, public health organizations, civic associations, community groups, care providers and industry leaders - must advance the ball.

Through massive outreach and education initiatives, what is needed, dare I say, are cogent efforts to seduce and lull the populace out of complacency. Striking a bipartisan tone, all comers must enlist to progress the national dialogue on health. In the ire of the political heat, the stakes were not articulated above the clamor. Rather, now and going forward, a dedicated health blitz, per se, would prove essential. Speaking of mandates, a national referendum on healthy lifestyles, better choices and prevention as a staple -alongside, parallel and part of health-care reform, would better serve us all.

What about health engagement as a priority and not a sidekick? What about town-halls where we warred less against ideologies and instead, we challenged one another to keep health alive, that is by all means necessary? Again, what is needed is to reengineer the health conversation and care landscape. And for that we cannot afford to wait.

By Chris T. Pernell  |  November 4, 2009; 11:16 PM ET
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