NEW YORK, June 21, 2022 — The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a National Public Health System today issued a set of concrete recommendations aimed at transforming public health in the United States, to create a robust, coordinated system that better protects lives and handles health emergencies.
The nonpartisan commission, chaired by Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has laid out a vision for a national public health system, offering recommendations for Congress, the Biden-Harris administration, and states, localities, tribes, and territories, with four major principles:
- The federal government should lead a strong and capable national public health system.
- Congress should provide stable support matched with clear expectations for states, localities, tribes, and territories to protect the health of their populations.
- The health care system should work closely with public health agencies in normal times and during emergencies.
- The public health system should earn the public’s trust.