In response to a Republican-led proposal to end the Prevention and Public Health initiative, Congresswoman Kathy Castor highlighted today on the House floor the positive effects these community-led initiatives are having on the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. The University of South Florida, the Pinellas County Health Department and the Florida Department of Health, among others, are already using these investments to improve our health and wellness.

“Prevention works. It’s smart. It saves taxpayers money. It saves lives,” Castor said.

“The Prevention and Public Health initiative is already instrumental in improving the health of our neighbors,” Castor continued. “From training the next generation of doctors and nurses to making sure our children get healthful meals in schools, we must remain dedicated to public health by maintaining these investments in our modern, medical workforce, our children and those of us with chronic diseases. The Prevention and Public Health initiative is good for our neighbors and good for our economy.”

Chronic diseases -- cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders and pulmonary conditions -- are all too prevalent in Florida. The annual treatment cost of caring for chronic diseases costs the United States more than $270 billion, and our economy lost more than $1 trillion in lost productivity.

“We can prevent a lot of this through education and being proactive and encouraging healthier lifestyles,” Castor said. “State and local communities can decide what works best for them – it’s all local control.”

Money from the Prevention and Public Health Fund is already helping states and local communities develop initiatives to combat chronic diseases, prevent obesity and improve wellness efforts. However, a Republican proposal considered on the House floor today would end the initiative, which was created as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Florida already has benefited from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The University of South Florida, for example, was awarded a $650,000 grant every year for five years to better train Florida’s modern, public health workforce, including doctors and nurses. Public health workers are on the front lines of caring for our most needy neighbors, so they must be properly trained. This will have a positive impact on job creation in our community.

The Pinellas County Health Department was awarded nearly $5 million to help prevent obesity. The health department is considering putting in sidewalks, trails, bike lines throughout the community to encourage exercise. The department is also focusing on children’s health by improving parks so children can play and exercise, and the department is planning to work with Pinellas schools on improving the nutritional content of the food and beverages served to our students. Eighteen jobs already have been created.

The Florida Department of Health also is receiving roughly $2 million for each of five years to develop initiatives that will improve health and wellness for Floridians. The department will check on strategies statewide to determine what works.

“Not only does prevention help reduce health care costs, it also creates jobs. We are seeing evidence of that throughout the state of Florida,” Castor said. “Dismantling the Prevention and Public Health Fund would be detrimental to our economy and our community.”