While these statements are definitely consistent with the IOM report of 1988, they care the concepts through to greater specificity.

The vision of healthy people in healthy communities provides an excellent illustration of the intersection of personal and population-focused health efforts. There are many things that can be done to promote individual health, working serially with individuals, and healthy individuals can work together to promote a healthy community. Likewise, if the community itself is healthy, which requires working with people in their social or group interactions, it will be far easier to promote or protect the health of individuals.

The mission stated here is that of the whole public health system or network. No one agency or individual is responsible for this mission, although there is a chief official health agency in each state and in most local jurisdictions. These public health organizations must work with the full range of health professionals and health-related organizations in the community to see that this mission is realized.