Examines solutions to community health problems

While many people think of staying well as an individual responsibility, where you live plays a huge role. Place and culture help determine social norms and access to affordable housing, safe neighborhoods, healthy food and places to exercise.



Benjamin said such solutions work for a few major reasons: "They're culturally sensitive. They're focused on the needs of people in the area. And they're designed to work where they are."

In September, USA TODAY and Cigna hosted a forum in Houston that focused more on challenges facing that part of the country and rural areas. Residents in the sprawling city talked about their health challenges, and barber Tre Sims discussed overcoming his. He's lost 100 pounds in the last three years by eating healthier and no longer suffers from high blood pressure. Now he picks up fruit at the convenience store near his work, instead of the junk food he used to eat. He can do that thanks to the Healthy Corner Store Network, a partnership between Go Healthy Houston and the community organization CAN DO Houston, which stands for Children and Neighbors Defeat Obesity.

The event, presented by USA TODAY and Cigna, runs from 9-11 a.m. at the Newseum in Washington. One panel will feature two public health thought leaders: Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association; and Richard Hamburg, deputy director of the Trust for America's Health. They will talk about keeping whole populations healthy and reducing health disparities, especially in urban areas.