Healthy People 2020Healthy People 2020 was launched on December 2, 2010 by the U.S. government with a series of ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year plans to improve the nation's health. Healthy People 2020 is the result of a multi-year process that reflects the contributions of a diverse group of individuals and organizations. This is a 10-year, science-based national goal to improve the health of all Americans. For 3 decades, Healthy People has established benchmarks and tracked progress over time to encourage cross-community and sector collaborations, empower people to make informed health decisions, and measure the impact of prevention activities. Healthy People's vision for 2020 is to have a society in which all people live long and healthy lives. (healthy people.gov) The mission of this program is to strive to identify health improvement priorities nationwide. To increase public awareness and understanding of the determinants of health, disease, and disability and opportunities for progress, it also provides measurable goals and objectives applicable at the national, state, and local levels. It also seeks to engage more sectors to take action to strengthen policies and improve practices guided by the best available evidence and knowledge. Healthy People 2020 is also committed to identifying our society's critical research, evaluation, and data collection needs to achieve our goals (healthy people.gov). The vision and mission of this program is to promote the health and well-being of all Americans while reducing health care costs and increasing the life expectancy of all individuals. The mission goes far beyond simply encouraging you to exercise for thirty minutes... half of the paper... by working together you will achieve the common goals established by the program. Nurses will continue to play an important role in improving society's lifestyle, which will help the government achieve these goals. The nurse can also help the government have a positive attitude towards the elderly by educating other nurses about the interesting field of geriatrics and promoting the various opportunities associated with this rewarding but challenging field of geriatrics. References Kydd, A., Touhy, T ., Newman, D., Fagerberg, I., & Engstrom, G. (2014). Attitudes towards caring for the elderly in Scotland, Sweden and the United States. Nursing Older People,26(2),WWW.healthypeople.gov Healthy People 2020 Retrieved April 2, 2014 Wold, G. (2012) Basic Geriatric Nursing St Louis Missouri Elsevier Mosby