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The symposium, Vital Directions for Health and Healthcare: The North Carolina Experience, will be held November 21-22, 2019 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Durham, NC, and will provide a platform for understanding the status of health and health care at the state level within the context of the NAM Vital Directions initiative. Several UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care leaders are on the event agenda.


The symposium, Vital Directions for Health and Healthcare: The North Carolina Experience, will be held November 21-22, 2019 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Durham, NC, and will provide a platform for understanding the status of health and health care at the state level within the context of the NAM Vital Directions initiative. Several UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care leaders are on the event agenda.

In 2016, the National Academy of Medicine launched the Vital Directions for Health and Health Care Initiative, which convened more than 150 leading researchers, scientists, and policy makers to provide expert guidance on 19 priority issues for U.S. health policy. The resulting publication presented a framework for achieving better health and well-being, high-value health care, and strong science and technology for the nation. As an extension of the Vital Directions for Health and Health Care initiative, we are turning our attention to what is happening at the state level and what national lessons learned can be scaled down, beginning with a symposium in North Carolina.

The symposium, Vital Directions for Health and Healthcare: The North Carolina Experience, will be held November 21-22, 2019 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Durham, NC, and will provide a platform for understanding the status of health and health care at the state level within the context of the NAM Vital Directions initiative.

The panel topics are oriented around the streamlined framework resulting from the 2016 Vital Directions publication – a core set of eight strategic action priorities and essential infrastructure needs. While the focus will primarily be on state-based innovations and challenges, the initiative will also bring in national-level perspectives and insights. The symposium will be a ripe opportunity to examine state-based capacity and lessons-learned for guiding health policy, as well as synergies among institutions and organizations that could lead to a more equitable health future for all.

Register to attend the symposium in-person or via webcast. For questions, please contact the National Academy of Medicine at NAMedicine@nas.edu.