The New Prevention Fund

California and the New Prevention Fund:
An Investment in the Future Health of America

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) included the creation of a Prevention Fund – to provide communities around the country with more than $16 billion over the next 10 years to invest in effective, provide prevention efforts, like childhood obesity prevention and tobacco cessation.

California is receiving 22464834 from the Prevention Fund this year to reduce disease rates in the state and help ensure today’s children are not the first generation in U.S. history to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parent.

Preventing disease and injury is the most effective, common-sense way to improve health in the United States. Too often, however, we focus on treating disease and injury after they occur instead of preventing them – providing sick care instead of health care.

The ACA and the Prevention Fund give us the opportunity to turn that around – and provides the opportunity for all Americans to be as healthy as they can be.

Prevention Fund Grants Amount Description
Communities Putting Prevention to Work $3.6 Million $55.1 Million*
  • The obesity prevention initiative will strive to promote safe and active transit (bicycling and walking) through adoption of Complete Streets and Safe Routes to Schools policies designed to create inviting and livable communities. The initiative will also promote the decreased consumption of sugar-drinks through expansion of the Rethink Your Drink campaign. The Rethink Your Drink Campaign is designed to move people’s focus from high calorie sodas and fruit drinks as beverage choices to healthier alternatives such as water, milk, or 100% fruit juice beverages.
  • The Santa Monica City Council unanimously adopted a policy to make the world-famous Santa Monica Pier 100% smoke-free, protecting over 4 million people who patronize the pier annually and the 18 businesses on the pier.
  • The meals of more than 100,000 Los Angeles County employees will be healthier due to the adoption of a resolution requiring all food service providers to L.A. County government departments to consult with the Director of the Department of Public Health to promote nutrition through stronger dietary requirements in their food procurement contracts.
  • The Los Angeles Municipal Code was amended to limit the establishment of fast food restaurants within a half mile radius from existing fast food restaurants in three areas with high rates of obesity and poverty: West Adams-Baldwin Hills-Lemert, South Los Angeles, and Southeast Los Angeles. This policy protects the 800,000 residents in those communities from becoming inundated with one primary unhealthy food option – fast foods, and creates an environment where healthier food options can also come into the communities.
  • The San Diego Unified School District increased the use of locally produced fruits and vegetables in more than 8.6 million breakfasts, 13.5 million lunches, and 2.2 million snacks served annually to 130,000 students and 15,800 staff.
  • San Diego is increasing access to affordable healthy foods by increasing the number of farmers markets that accept food stamps. To date, 2 farmers markets accept EBT and a total of 6 markets will accept EBT by March 2012. Total EBT sales at these farmers’ markets from August 2010 – January 2011 exceeded $29,600.
  • In Los Angeles County, Long Beach’s bicycle-friendly business districts aim to increase bicycle and pedestrian trips, and help local businesses thrive.
  • The Long Beach City Council voted in support of a healthy-food policy that will require that all snacks and beverages sold in vending machines on city property and all snacks and beverages served at city-sponsored meetings or events shall meet specific nutrition standards. Those standards would be based on those required by state law in California schools, which include limits on sugar, fat, sodium and calories in snack food, as well as the elimination of sugar-sweetened beverages and limits on artificially sweetened beverages.
  • The City Council of South El Monte adopted a Resolution to use its facilities and programs to promote and support health for the city’s population of 21,672 residents. Effective June 1, 2011 food snacks and beverages provided, sold, or served in meetings in city facilities and institutions, afterschool programs, recreation centers, pools, libraries, parks, community centers, and childcare centers shall meet specific nutritional guidelines. Future procurement or contractual negotiations for the provision of food snacks and beverages provided or sold through vending machines and other means within city facilities, at city functions, and sponsored events shall include a provision stipulating that all food snacks and beverages shall meet the same nutrition guidelines.
  • In May 2011, the Cupertino City Council amended a city ordinance to prohibit smoking in recreational areas such as city parks. Places where smoking is now prohibited include parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, golf courses, walking paths, gardens, hiking trails, bike paths, horseback riding trails, swimming pools, and roller skating and skateboard parks. A portion of the CPPW grant will be used to begin work on an educational and marketing campaign to raise awareness among the 58,302 residents of Cupertino about the new policy. Educational materials will include, but are not limited to, signage at parks and small educational cards.
Public Health Infrastructure California Department of Public Health $2,060,128 (FY10) $1,093,662 (FY11); San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services $100,000 (FY10) $250,000 (FY11); Los Angeles County Health Services Department $1,859,950 (FY10) $893,598 (FY11) Awarded to state, tribal, local and territorial health departments to improve their ability to provide public health services. The 5-year cooperative agreement program will provide health departments with needed resources to make fundamental changes in their organizations and practices, so that they can improve the delivery of public health services including: Building and implementing capacity within health departments for evaluating the effectiveness of their organizations, practices, partnerships, programs and use of resources through performance management; Expansion and training of public health staff and community leaders to conduct policy activities in key areas and to facilitate improvements in system efficiency; Maximizing the public health system to improve networking, coordination, and cross-jurisdictional cooperation for the delivery of public health services to address resource sharing and improve health indicators; Disseminating, implementing and evaluating public health’s best and most promising practices; and Building a national network of performance improvement managers that share best practices for improving the public health system.
Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Los Angeles County Health Services Department $412,980 (FY10) $727,894 (FY11); California Department of Public Health $677,043 (FY10) $156,034 (FY11) The funding, which is provided through Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) and the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) cooperative agreements, is intended to increase epidemiology, laboratory and health information systems capacity at health departments. The award is to support: hiring and training of epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, and health information specialists who can work on multiple infectious diseases; increasing the number of modern, well-equipped public health laboratories using electronic laboratory information systems to manage and exchange information effectively between labs and public health departments; and developing capacity for public health departments to participate in meaningful use of electronic health records, e.g. through implementation of electronic laboratory-based reporting according to national standards.
ARRA evaluation (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) N/A Grants awarded intended to help states “create additional tobacco quitters,” as well as increase data collection efforts for tracking flu-like illnesses to support ongoing pandemic influenza preparedness activities.
HIV Laboratory California Department of Public Health $415,593; Los Angeles County Health Services Department $190,581; San Francisco Department of Public Health $171,081 CDC awarded grants to expand HIV prevention efforts under the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).  The funding, allocated to CDC by the President as part of NHAS, will help to further focus HIV prevention on high risk populations and communities, as well as fill critical gaps in data, knowledge and understanding of the epidemic. The majority of the grants will support demonstration projects to identify and implement a “combination approach” to enhance effective HIV prevention programming in 12 hard-hit areas across the country.  These efforts will determine what mix of HIV prevention approaches can have the greatest impact in the local area, supplementing existing programs in these communities and helping jurisdictions to better focus efforts on key at-risk populations and fulfill unmet needs. Grants went to state and local health departments to increase HIV testing opportunities for populations disproportionately affected by HIV and help link HIV-infected persons with appropriate services, as well as to improve the reporting of HIV data.
HIV Testing California Department of Public Health $145,567; Los Angeles County Health Services Department $145,567; San Francisco Department of Public Health $145,567 CDC awarded grants to expand HIV prevention efforts under the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).  The funding, allocated to CDC by the President as part of NHAS, will help to further focus HIV prevention on high risk populations and communities, as well as fill critical gaps in data, knowledge and understanding of the epidemic. The majority of the grants will support demonstration projects to identify and implement a “combination approach” to enhance effective HIV prevention programming in 12 hard-hit areas across the country.  These efforts will determine what mix of HIV prevention approaches can have the greatest impact in the local area, supplementing existing programs in these communities and helping jurisdictions to better focus efforts on key at-risk populations and fulfill unmet needs. Grants went to state and local health departments to increase HIV testing opportunities for populations disproportionately affected by HIV and help link HIV-infected persons with appropriate services, as well as to improve the reporting of HIV data.
HIV Planning Los Angeles County Helath Services Department $1,059,407; San Francisco Department of Public Health $887,968 CDC awarded grants to expand HIV prevention efforts under the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).  The funding, allocated to CDC by the President as part of NHAS, will help to further focus HIV prevention on high risk populations and communities, as well as fill critical gaps in data, knowledge and understanding of the epidemic. The majority of the grants will support demonstration projects to identify and implement a “combination approach” to enhance effective HIV prevention programming in 12 hard-hit areas across the country.  These efforts will determine what mix of HIV prevention approaches can have the greatest impact in the local area, supplementing existing programs in these communities and helping jurisdictions to better focus efforts on key at-risk populations and fulfill unmet needs. Grants went to state and local health departments to increase HIV testing opportunities for populations disproportionately affected by HIV and help link HIV-infected persons with appropriate services, as well as to improve the reporting of HIV data.
Emerging Infections Program California Department of Public Health & Envioronment $198,869 (FY10); $216,151 (FY11) The funding, which is provided through Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) and the Emerging Infections Program (EIP) cooperative agreements, is intended to increase epidemiology, laboratory and health information systems capacity at health departments. The award is to support: hiring and training of epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, and health information specialists who can work on multiple infectious diseases; increasing the number of modern, well-equipped public health laboratories using electronic laboratory information systems to manage and exchange information effectively between labs and public health departments; and developing capacity for public health departments to participate in meaningful use of electronic health records, e.g. through implementation of electronic laboratory-based reporting according to national standards.
Capacity Building Grants N/A Money awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will go to various national, non-profit professional public health organizations to support efforts by state, tribal, local and territorial health departments to ensure successful adoption of effective practices that strengthen core public health infrastructure investments. These national public health organizations will provide technical assistance, training, and information for health departments to improve their public health infrastructure and the delivery of public health services.
Tobacco Prevention 240,173 (FY10); CDC Tobacco Quitlines $340,245 (FY11) State Supplemental Funding for Healthy Communities will be used to help states implement plans to reduce tobacco use through legislative, regulatory, and educational arenas, as well as enhance and expand the national network of tobacco cessation quitlines to significantly increase the number of tobacco users who quit. Money will also support states and terrritories enhance and expand the national network of tobacco cessation quitlines to increase the number of tobacco users who quit. Quitlines are hte toll-free numbers people can call to obtain smoking cessation treatments and services.
Health Care Surveillance $0 Grants to fund data collection and analysis to monitor the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the health of Americans and boost the collection and analysis of environmental hazards data to protect the health of communities.
Workforce N/A The programs are designed to build the primary care workforce and provide community-based prevention. States will receive funding to support comprehensive workforce planning and implementation strategies that best address local current and projected workforce shortages.
Training Centers—HRSA $0 The Public Health Training Centers Program helps improve the public health system by enhancing skills of the current and future public health workforce. Funded organizations (1) plan, develop, operate and evaluate projects that support goals established by the Secretary in preventive medicine, health promotion and disease prevention; or (2) improve access to and quality of health services in medically underserved communities. Other PHTC activities include assessing the learning needs of the public health workforce; providing accessible training; and working with organizations to meet strategic planning, education, and resource needs.
Primary care and Behavioral Health Services Glenn County Health Services Agency $496,863; Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services $500,000; San Mateo County Health System $496,307; Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc $496,862; Asian Community Mental Health Services $496,863 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at HHS awarded grants to support and promote better primary care and behavioral health services for individuals with mental illnesses or substance use disorders. The grants seek to improve health by improving the coordination of healthcare services delivered in publicly funded community mental health and other community-based behavioral health settings.

*One-Time Funding from FY2010


Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. www.healthyamericans.org

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need–the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.