Creating Healthier Communities Aims to Halve Life Expectancy Gap in a Decade

Creating Healthier Communities (CHC) held its inaugural National Forum in Washington, D.C., bringing together more than 150 leaders from business, philanthropy, healthcare, government, and community organizations. The group committed to a goal of cutting the nation's life expectancy gap in half over the next decade.

The forum launched a new phase for CHC, ahead of its 70th anniversary. Key to the initiative is the "Built to Thrive" research, which indicates that health disparities cost the U.S. approximately $1.4 trillion annually. For businesses, costs linked to community health among employees amount to over $575 billion per year.

The research also suggests that investments in public health can yield significant returns, estimating $14 for every dollar spent. A case study from Columbia Parc in New Orleans showed that 15 years of cross-sector investment increased life expectancy by nearly 15 years while reducing crime by over 90 percent.

"We are committing our next phase to this moonshot of cutting the life expectancy gap in half," said Jean C. Accius, President & CEO of Creating Healthier Communities. Leaders from various sectors pledged their support and outlined strategies during the forum. Attendees also made specific organizational and personal commitments to contribute to closing this gap.