Program Action Teams
Health and Well Being
Background
Imagine a world where people are able to live long, healthy lives. It is a world that prioritizes prevention, supports well-being, and ensures that communities have the resources needed to support healthy living. It is a world where making healthy choices is practical and achievable.
Today, that vision remains out of reach for many.
Life expectancy in the United States currently stands at 77.5 years. Despite a slight increase in 2022, recent declines highlight ongoing challenges. At the same time, the United States spends more on health care than any other nation, yet outcomes continue to lag behind peer countries. These trends have broad implications—not only for individual well-being, but also for economic productivity, workforce stability, and national resilience.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, followed by cancer, COVID-19, unintentional injuries (including overdose), and stroke.
Since its earliest days, the Cooperative Extension System (CES) has played an important role in supporting the health and well-being of communities. Early efforts focused heavily on promoting healthy behaviors. Over time, it has become clear that health outcomes are shaped not only by individual choices, but also by access to resources, local conditions, and community-level support systems.
While personal responsibility remains important, there is also a need to strengthen the systems and resources that support healthy living. Many individuals and families face real challenges in accessing care, maintaining healthy habits, and navigating available services—particularly in areas with limited resources or infrastructure.
How is the Cooperative Extension System responding?
Translating research-based health knowledge from Land-grant universities into practical guidance remains a core part of Cooperative Extension’s work. However, with research showing that individual behaviors account for only a portion of overall health outcomes, a broader approach is necessary.
Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health and Well-Being emphasizes a dual approach. One component focuses on helping individuals make informed, healthy choices. The other focuses on working with communities to identify local conditions that influence health and to strengthen the systems and resources that support well-being.
Efforts are underway to equip Extension faculty and staff with the skills needed to guide community-level planning and engagement. These efforts focus on improving access to key resources such as employment opportunities, stable housing, education, preventive services, nutritious food, safe environments, and clean water.
This work complements, rather than replaces, the role of local health departments and healthcare providers by strengthening the conditions that influence health outcomes over time.
What difference is Cooperative Extension making?
By integrating community-focused strategies into its health-related work, Cooperative Extension and its partners are strengthening local capacity and improving conditions that support long-term well-being. At the same time, Extension continues to provide research-based information that helps individuals make informed decisions about their health.
These combined efforts contribute to stronger communities, improved health outcomes, and reduced strain on emergency and acute care systems. They also help communities better prepare for and respond to future public health challenges.
What can be done with additional resources and partnerships?
Extension staff are receiving training to support coordinated, community-level efforts that improve health outcomes. However, the number of communities that can be served is limited by current staffing capacity.
Additional resources would allow Cooperative Extension to expand its workforce with professionals who have the expertise needed to support community engagement, planning, and program delivery at the local level.
In addition, many Land-grant universities do not currently have dedicated faculty leadership to guide and coordinate this work across the system. Establishing these roles would strengthen alignment, improve program delivery, and support a more consistent approach nationwide.
Contact Information
PAT Leader:
Roger Rennekamp
Kerry Gabbert
USDA-NIFA Liaisons:
Sheila Fleishhacker
Edwin Lewis
Contact:
Roger Rennekamp
