Former President Bill Clinton called for an intensified emphasis on wellness as opposed to fixing sickness,
KESQ News reported.
Clinton said that the economics of healthcare remains little understood. The U.S. spends roughly 18 percent of its revenues on healthcare to cover just 8.4 percent of its population. Other developed countries spend about 12 percent to insure all their people,
The Desert Sun reported.
The 42nd president along with his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, were in Palm Springs, California, to promote Clinton Health Matters Initiative, a program now in its fourth year, sponsored by the Clinton Foundation.
Clinton told a Sunday breakfast audience of 100 healthcare, sports, business, and public policy leaders that each community had unique healthcare needs. He advocated a strategy of "community-driven" healthcare.
"In the next 20 years, there'll be more and more and more attention to building the kind of networks and cooperation that are represented in this room and to building grassroots people-oriented systems from the ground up," Clinton said. "I think you'll see it all across America and all across the world. This is really, really important," the Sun reported.
Clinton Health Matters Initiative focuses on educating community leaders about healthcare issues. It has sought to draw attention to the need for primary care deliverers to recognize mental health issues. Its agenda includes nationwide obesity, access to healthcare, and veterans health issues.
The foundation's efforts have led to the implementation of programs in diverse areas including medical education, nutrition, child abuse and HIV testing, the Sun reported.
The former president wants to foster new attitudes and strategies about how people can live healthier lives by having his foundation work systematically with various players in the healthcare arena.
"We go around the country and we talk about you," Clinton said. "People get discouraged and say, 'Can we really do anything to change here? Can we reduce unnecessary illness and death in our hospitals? Can we really reach out to people who are underserved and bring them in? Can we really change the health trajectory of our children?' We talk about you," the Sun reported.
Chelsea Clinton led "a day of action" in Palm Springs, planting an orchard and helping to beautify a nearby park, according to a
foundation press statement.
The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation focuses on global health issues, health economics, and the effects of climate change.
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