Healthier nation.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

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There's a new tool to identify--and address--costly health care issues. It's called "Healthy People 2020," a 10-year national plan to improve Americans' health by shifting the focus from treating diseases to preventing them.

The plan was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with input from public health experts, government officials, more than 2,000 organizations, and comments from the public. It contains public health goals in 42 areas, ranging from heart disease and cancer, to diabetes and immunizations. It also aims at reducing illnesses, disabilities and premature deaths.

The national initiative has been around since 1980, when "Healthy People 1990" was released. What's new about the 2020 version is a focus on identifying, measuring and reducing health disparities by looking at a whole range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence a person's health. Among the 13 new...