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Reform puts 'health' back in healthcare

WASHINGTON, March 22 (UPI) -- U.S. healthcare reform is a giant step toward putting prevention and "health" back into healthcare, the association of city and county health officials says.

Officials at the National Association of County and City Health Officials in Washington say the stable, reliable funding stream for chronic disease prevention provided by this legislation is essential to sustain population-based prevention activities that are beyond the reach of the healthcare system.

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"Who doesn't prefer health? It is the foundation for a high quality of life," Robert M. Pestronk, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, says in a statement.

"The benefits of including prevention and wellness in health reform are numerous. Prevention works and science supports its use as practiced in both the doctor's office and in the community. It improves the productivity of workers, the ability to learn and the national defense."

Adequately funded, local health departments prevent disease by working with people to create conditions that make health the default option -- from eating well and exercise to reducing the bad effects of chronic disease, Pestronk says.

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