Mississippi State Department of Health Achieves Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Recognition

(Washington, DC – May 4, 2023) –

Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) is pleased to announce that the Mississippi State Department of Health has achieved exemplar status by completing the ten original action steps of TFAH’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) Recognition Program. The AFPHS Recognition Program is designed to highlight the efforts of departments of health at the state and local level and honor the ongoing foundational support of the health and well-being of older people. Action steps for recognition include data collection, collaboration across sectors to improve older adult health and listening directly to older adults to learn what matters to them.

To achieve Age-Friendly Public Health Systems Recognition, the Mississippi State Department of Health: established an Advisory Committee and developed a state-wide action plan based on the AFPHS 6C’s Framework using the collective impact process; developed a Healthy Aging Data Report and county data profiles with over 120 indicators; partnered with AARP MS and the Mississippi Public Health Association on several endeavors, including the development of a champion program for older adult volunteers to encourage their communities to be age-friendly and promote intergenerational activities.

The Mississippi State Department of Health is deeply committed to promoting healthy aging and developing an age-friendly eco-system in the state. Under the direction of Dr. Kina White, Director, Office of Community Health Improvement Mississippi State Department of Health, the state department of health is collaborating with AARP MS to establish more age-friendly communities and introduce dementia friendly communities.  Collaboration efforts are also underway to establish more age-friendly health systems and age-friendly universities statewide.

Today, Mississippi is hosting their first Healthy Aging Summit to share healthy aging accomplishments and prepare for future opportunities to advance multi-sector healthy aging initiatives across the state.

TFAH’s Age-Friendly Public Health Systems initiative is made possible with generous support from The John A. Hartford Foundation.

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Trust for America’s Health is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes optimal health for every person and community and makes the prevention of illness and injury a national priority.  www.tfah.org  

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. The leader in the field of aging and health, the Foundation has three areas of emphasis: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. https://www.johnahartford.org/