On Oct. 18, 2017, the 15th National Forum Annual Meeting featured an impressive line-up of panel discussions that supported the meeting’s Paths of Engagement theme. Presenters examined the current state of cardiovascular health in the U.S., and how to successfully advocate for prevention and population health in the current environment. These strategies included a discussion with the new U.S. Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH. Dr. Adams shared his agenda for prevention (recording available here) during the annual meeting.

David Hoffman, director for the Bureau of Community Integration and Alzheimer’s Disease, Division of Long Term Care, New York State Department of Health, received the prestigious National Forum Public Policy Award. The award recognizes an individual who has been effective in advancing policy change to help reduce heart disease and stroke burden on a national, state, and local levels. Dr. Stan Shanedling, from the Minnesota Department of Health; a member of the CVH Leadership team; and Julia Schneider, NACDD consultant on the CVH team were in attendance. NACDD’s CEO John Robitscher and John Patton, NACDD director of public affairs, were also in attendance. NACDD has been a member of the National Forum for the past 15 years, and has supported state health department staff involved in the development of the Public Health Action Plan for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.