Every 10 years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) produces national health objectives based on scientific insights and lessons learned from the past decade, along with knowledge of current data, trends, and innovations. Known as the Healthy People initiative, this effort provides science-based objectives for promoting health and preventing disease in America.

The HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the Office of Public Health and Science has contracted with NORC to support activities related to the development of the next decade’s national health objectives—Healthy People 2020.  As one element of this work, NORC is facilitating five regional meetings throughout the U.S. and a sixth meeting in the Washington, DC area to obtain public input. The meetings are taking place in Atlanta; San Francisco; Fort Worth, TX; Chicago; New York; and Bethesda, MD during March and May of 2008.  

As HHS seeks input from communities and stakeholders through public meetings across the country, NORC is helping to plan and facilitate these meetings. In addition, NORC is producing summary reports that highlight recurrent themes in stakeholders input at the meetings.  These reports will then be used by HHS, along with feedback from other public input, to shape the Healthy People 2020 purpose, goals, organization, and action plans.