Prevention and Wellness
I believe the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By preventing disease before it occurs, we can cut costs, shorten hospital stays, and reduce illness dramatically, all while improving the quality of everyday life. I’m proud that Minnesota is consistently one of the healthiest states in the nation. Sadly, however, we also have some of the worst health disparities in the country. There’s a lot of room to improve, and prevention is a great place to start. Prevention includes reducing smoking rates and exposure to secondhand smoke, increasing healthy eating and physical activity, workplace wellness programs, and regular visits to your health care provider.
This focus on preventing illness from developing in the first place will save lives and money across the nation. Health reform makes a historic investment in community prevention and wellness. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee I will support legislation that lowers the risk of these diseases so that Minnesotans will lead longer, happier lives.
