HealthierUS
Steps to a HealthierUS
Healthy People 2010
Partnership

Between

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

and

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
Office of Public Health and Science (OPHS)
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institutes of Health:
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

PARTNERSHIP

This Memorandum of Understanding sets forth the terms and conditions between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons regarding activities related to health promotion and disease prevention.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) share common goals and interests with regard to the health promotion and disease prevention activities within the Federal Government, including the goals and objectives of the President’s HealthierUS initiative, the Secretary’s Steps to a HealthierUS initiative, and Healthy People 2010 which support improving the quality of life for all persons throughout the life span, and the elimination of health disparities. The HHS and AAOS are also active supporters of the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade (2002 - 2011), a collaborative initiative to raise awareness of musculoskeletal disorders and to promote research and development into therapies, preventive measures, and cures for these conditions. Each organization has unique competencies through which it addresses these goals. HHS and AAOS recognize that by forming a strategic partnership, they can capitalize on the individual strengths of each organization to achieve the goals and targets related to orthopaedics and children, adolescents, adults and the elderly set forth in Healthy People 2010, and in promoting the prevention goals of HealthierUS and Steps to a HealthierUS, thereby improving the overall health of our nation.

Healthy People 2010, the nation’s health objectives for the first decade of the 21^st century, identifies 467 health objectives for addressing the medical and public health problems in the United States. The two overarching goals of Healthy People 2010 are the elimination of health disparities and the increase in the quality and years of healthy living. The President’s HealthierUS and the Secretary’s Steps to a HealthierUS initiatives promote a healthy lifestyle with focus in related areas such as making healthy choices and obtaining preventive screenings. Healthy People 2010 and the Federal priority prevention initiatives are intended to mobilize health professionals, community providers, voluntary and membership organizations, local and state governments, the business and corporate sectors, health advocacy associations, and the public in coordinated disease prevention and health promotion activities.

There are approximately 75 Healthy People 2010 objectives that address osteoporosis, arthritis, injury prevention and physical activity across the life span and in various settings.

The AAOS has taken a prominent leadership role in promoting activities that address healthy bone development, arthritis treatments, injury prevention and physical activity-all of which support the delivery of quality preventive and interventive health care to individuals, thus enhancing the years and quality of life.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reflects the common commitment of AAOS and HHS to address the public health challenges facing the United States. This MOU reflects the intent of AAOS and HHS to work together toward achieving improved communication; coordinating and collaborating on a range of activities, both existing and proposed; and achieving targets set forth in Healthy People 2010, with particular emphasis on those related to arthritis, injury prevention, osteoporosis and physical activity across the life span. The purpose of this strategic partnership is to catalyze progress toward the goals and relevant targets set forth in Healthy People 2010, which serve as a foundation to the prevention activities of HealthierUS and Steps to a HealthierUS, to achieve improvement in the overall health of our communities and our Nation.

The above will be accomplished by a partnership and the following activities:

1. Awareness, Communication, and Education Directed at Orthopaedic Surgeons and Their patients. The AAOS and HHS will work together to assure that practitioners in the field of orthopaedic surgery have current and new information on health disparities and recommended strategies that they can implement in the clinical and/or community setting for the purposes of eliminating health disparities, improving the quality of health care delivered to patients, and increasing their years and quality of life. This awareness, communication and education, will include, but not be limited to:
1. HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010 materials and related reports;
2. the importance of understanding and addressing health disparities;
3. the importance of understanding and improving health literacy, and
4. the importance of population-based and community-based education and health promotion.
2. HHS will work with the AAOS on the development of educational tools such as pamphlets and web-based activities that relate to health promotion and disease prevention for the selected areas. For all materials, activities and tools developed by AAOS in consultation with ODPHP, HHS or other government partners, AAOS shall hold the copyright. HHS, its agencies and other government partners may use and reproduce the AAOS copyrighted materials related to this MOU under a royalty-free, nonexclusive license from AAOS, giving proper attribution. For all materials, activities and tools developed jointly by AAOS and government partners and considered in the public domain, AAOS shall receive appropriate attribution.
3. Through this partnership MOU, the AAOS with consultation from the ODPHP and other Federal and external partners jointly deemed appropriate, will identify specific health objectives and identify best practices for addressing these issues and develop a strategy for disseminating this information to practitioners in the field of orthopaedic surgery.

1. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will:
    
   1. Make accessible to the AAOS, HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010, information in print, as CD-ROM and through the Internet and provide a web link from the Healthy People 2010 Web site to the AAOS Web site;
   2. Partner with AAOS to communicate to key audiences the importance of prevention, for example inviting AAOS to relevant ODPHP sponsored meetings and events;
   3. Monitor the health of the nation and progress toward the elimination of health disparities and the designated targets in Healthy People 2010;
   4. Provide technical assistance, as resources allow, for data and implementation activities through Healthy People 2010 chapter co-leads and workgroups;
   5. Provide assistance, as resources allow, for promoting HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010 and other Federal priority prevention initiatives to AAOS members, other health care providers and their patients;
   6. Provide staff expertise, as resources allow, to assist with the planning and implementation of projects;
   7. To the extent allowed by law, bring AAOS together with other governmental and non-governmental organizations that share a mutual interest in disease prevention, health promotion and the elimination of health disparities, and
   8. Upon advance review of materials, content and layout presentation, permit the use of the HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010 logos on the initiative's materials, granting consent on a case-by-case basis, subject to existing HHS guidelines.
       
2. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons will:

 
1. Identify and disseminate information on HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010 to AAOS members as a resource for physicians, surgeons, providers and policymakers;
2. Communicate with and educate, as AAOS resources allow, practitioners and other health professionals, state medical affiliates, medical schools and medical students about HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010, health disparities and health literacy;
3. Make available, as AAOS resources allow, through the following AAOS activities, opportunities for linkage to the ODPHP, HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS, Healthy People 2010 and related prevention activities (e.g. osteoporosis)
   • Community Orthopaedic Awareness Program
   • Public Service Announcements for television, radio and print that can be distributed nationwide (e.g., related to prevention)
   • Prevent Injuries America! Program, a year long program on prevention of a variety of musculoskeletal injuries
   • Safe and Accessible Playground, an activity where each year at the AAOS Annual Meeting a playground is built as a legacy to the host city
   • AAOS Annual Meeting where ODPHP may promote and display the Healthy People 2010 or the Steps to a HealthierUS initiatives
   • Emotion Pictures: An Exhibition of Orthopaedics in Art
4. Encourage state medical affiliates to forge alliances with local partners for the purpose of eliminating health disparities, achieving the objectives of Healthy People 2010, and focusing on the relevant prevention components of HealthierUS and Steps to a HealthierUS,
5. Educate policymakers regarding HealthierUS, Steps to a HealthierUS and Healthy People 2010 as a means to understanding and eliminating health disparities, improving health and preventing disease;
6. Provide staff expertise, as resources allow, to work with HHS on planning and implementation of projects related to the mutual interest areas under this MOU;
7. Provide a web link from the AAOS web homepage to the Healthy People 2010 homepage for mutual access of content material;
8. Meet quarterly with representatives from HHS to confer on the progress of activities and the efficacy of the partnership, and to determine other potential opportunities of mutual interest.

The AAOS President, Assistant Secretary for Health, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) will evaluate the effectiveness of this relationship at the end of each year based on mutually agreed upon criteria in order to establish its future direction.

Nothing in this agreement shall be deemed to be a commitment or obligation of Federal or AAOS funds or resources.

This agreement is at-will and may be modified by mutual consent of authorized officials from the United States Government and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. This agreement shall become effective upon signature by authorized officials from the United States Government and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and will remain in effect until modified or terminated by one or both parties by mutual written consent or upon sixty (60) days prior written notice. In the absence of a mutual agreement by authorized officials from the United States Government and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons to continue further this partnership, this agreement shall end on December 31, 2005.

This agreement is authorized by Sections 1701 and 1704 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. Sections 300u, 300u-3.

[Signed October 21, 2003]