HealthPartners researcher named to National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Advisory Committee

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Nico Pronk, Vice President for Health Management and Chief Science Officer at HealthPartners, was recently named one of 13 nationally-recognized experts to serve on the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030. Those selected are subject matter experts in health promotion, disease prevention, epidemiology, health literacy, communication, law and state and local public health practice. Dr. Pronk will co-chair the committee along with Dr. Dushanbe Kleinman from the University of Maryland, and together they will lead the committee over the next two years in advising the Secretary on setting health goals for the nation.

According to Karen B. DeSalvo, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acting assistant secretary for health, over the next two years, the Committee will examine current scientific evidence and submit recommendations to the Secretary to inform the development and implementation of the nation’s disease prevention and health promotion objectives for Healthy People 2030. Along with public and federal agency comments, these recommendations will be used by HHS to develop the next iteration of the Healthy People initiative.

“A key component of Healthy People is its emphasis on eliminating health disparities by addressing social determinants of health,” said DeSalvo. “Healthy People drives action across sectors to improve the health of our nation’s communities and prevent health disparities due to factors like zip code, economic stability, education, community and access to health care.”

This appointment recognizes Dr. Pronk’s expertise in health promotion and population health. He has published numerous articles and served on various boards and committees geared towards health behavior change, the role of multi-level and multi-component interventions on population health outcomes, the role of business and industry in improving population health, the integration of health promotion with occupational safety and health, and the integration of health promotion, behavioral health, and primary care.

“I’m very proud to be selected for this committee,” said Dr. Pronk. “I look forward to helping establish specific, science-based, measurable objectives for improving our nation’s health.”