Last week, the Clinton Foundation hosted the third annual Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation Conference.
This conference brought together nearly 500 leaders from health care, technology, media, sports, education, business, and public policy to surface solutions and strategies on how to transform health in the United States.
This year, the conference announced more than $100 million in new investments to make health and wellness accessible to all people in the United States with 30 strategic partners. More than 50 million people across the country will be impacted by these commitments to action.
“One in six American lives will be touched by the investments we are making in health and wellness,” said President Clinton. “These 50 million people include kids with better access to healthier food options; college students informed about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and warning signs of suicide; and adults better equipped to manage their health and change their lifestyles to prevent disease.”
The conference, sponsored by Tenet Healthcare Corporation, included panels on issues such as health transformation, closing the gap in health inequities and disparities, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Participants included President Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, Jenna Wolfe, Sue Siegel, and Reverend Rick Warren.
Commitments to action established with the Foundation’s Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI) strategic partners will be discussed throughout the day. Key news from CHMI strategic partners at this year’s conference included:
- A new partnership with the Jed Foundation to make college campuses safer and support the mental and emotional health needs of students. This partnership is being supported by media partners such as Facebook, which is helping students identify the warning signs of suicide and provide tips for how to help a friend in need, and MTV, which is raising awareness of the dangers of prescription drug abuse.
- A new partnership with the Aspen Institute Sport & Society Program to work with national governing bodies of sport, academia, and others to ensure that all children have access to physical activity and sports. This was discussed at the conference’s opening ESPN Town Hall, which included President Clinton and Kobe Bryant discussing key strategies to improve access to sports and physical activity; and commitments from Nike and the United States Olympic Committee to understand how to bring these positive experiences to all children.
- A commitment from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to expand its work to increase access to healthier foods and physical activity outside, as well as inside school environments.
- An announcement of awards totaling $5 million by the Knight Foundation to winners of their challenge to use digital platforms to take health data and knowledge and bring it to individuals and communities in ways that they can use to improve their own health.
- A partnership with the Palisades Media Ventures and the James Beard Foundation to launch the 800 Calorie Challenge, a national cooking competition that focuses on healthy eating and nutrition.
- A joint commitment from the Saddleback Church, P.E.A.C.E. Center, and the Daniel Plan to improve health and wellness in the Southern California region by increasing access to medical care, health good, and support groups for healthy living; the lessons from this commitment will be spread nationwide to every church in America.
