The Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention works toward making a healthy Florida with the goal of reducing chronic conditions and diseases such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, heart disease, and stroke.
The bureau works with clinical and community partners to prevent diseases from occurring by promoting and supporting healthy behaviors and environments across the lifespan. We use evidence‐based health system strategies to improve chronic disease education, prevention, treatment, and management.
Chronic diseases are those that go on for a long time and often don’t go away completely. They are among the most common and costly health problems; however, we often know how to prevent them. Chronic diseases affect people of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, and ethnicities.
You can lower your chances of getting a chronic disease by keeping a healthy weight, eating healthy food, getting enough exercise, and avoid using tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
Asthma
The Department coordinates statewide efforts to reduce asthma and hospitalization rates, as well as increase the number of people with asthma receiving self-management education.
Diabetes
Diabetes Prevention Program
Helps Floridians prevent and manage diabetes and its complications, contributing to a healthier population, more productive workforce, and reduced burden on the health care system.
The program focuses on increasing awareness of prevention and treatment options, including various self-management education support programs.
The program also facilitates the Diabetes Advisory Council and provides oversight for the Insulin Distribution Program.
Epilepsy
The Department provides case management, diagnosis, care, and treatment services for individuals with epilepsy. The program provides education materials for individuals with epilepsy and their families, physicians, hospitals, and the public to raise awareness of local health services and community resources.
The program provides oversight of the Epilepsy Medication Program.
Heart Disease
The Department works with a variety of partners, including health systems, universities, national and statewide organizations, and community members to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce the morbidity and mortality from heart disease.
The focus is to address intervention strategies to improve early detection of hypertension and elevated cholesterol, and provide guidance on management and control.
Stroke Prevention
Florida Stroke Registry – Conducts ongoing surveillance of hospital stroke performance metrics made accessible through data use agreements with stroke centers, to track, measure, and analyze stroke performance. This surveillance is critical to identifying potential improvements or gaps in stroke care.
In addition, the registry works with stroke centers and other partners to bring awareness about stroke prevention, and ways to identify warning signs and symptoms of strokes.
Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant
Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant
Federal funding that supports Florida in addressing unique public health needs and challenges with innovative and community-driven methods. Program activities are centered around achieving health objectives outlined by the Healthy People initiative.