On October 28, 2005 NECON, the New England Governors' Conference, Inc., and Region I, US Department of Health & Human Services will convene our annual region-wide forum of policymakers and legislators at the Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. As you may know, the New England Governors' Conference, Inc. has charged NECON to interact with health policymakers throughout New England and to submit recommendations periodically for the improvement of the health status of the region. We invite you to attend and be an active participant in this process. This year's conference is entitled "Creating An Ethic of Prevention in New England."

An ethic of prevention exists when health promotion and disease prevention are the guiding principles of our social and built environments, our behavioral choices, and our healthcare enterprise. Over the past two decades, the quality of sound scientific research on healthy behaviors and societal health policies has improved significantly. At the same time the cost and burdens of preventable diseases are immense and escalating. We believe that we have a special opportunity to bring the relevance of evidence-based prevention strategies to the attention of New England policymakers, the healthcare infrastructure, and all New Englanders.