Public Health and Health Care

Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE 1

Public Health and Health Care

Debbie Fernando

HCS/535

June 10, 2013

Dr. Michelle Clemons

PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE 2

Public Health and Health CarePublic health is defined as “the approach to medicine that is concerned with the health of

the community as a whole” ("Definition of Public Health", 2013). Without public health, health

care would be in vain. A person could be in perfect health one day, come in contact with a

person with a contagious disease, and be dead within twenty-four hours. This may be an extreme

example, but however improbable, it is not impossible. Public health consists of federal, state,

and local levels. This paper will discuss the local health department.

Local health departments

According to "The National Academies Press" (2013), “Local health departments (LHDs)

have a fundamental and complex role as the front line for delivery of basic public health services

to most of the communities in this country” (para. 3). The nearly 3,000 local health departments

in the United States vary greatly in size, depending on the size and nature of the community. The

local health departments also vary in economic circumstances and the governing organizations to

which they answer. The health departments provide a wide variety of services depending on the

needs of the community they serve. Although the services of local health departments vary, the

majority of them provide ten core services. The National Public Health Performance Standards

Program (NPHPSP) has defined the ten core services that should be provided by each local

public health department. They include:

Monitor

Diagnose and investigate

Inform and educate

Mobilize

Develop policies and plans


Enforce

Link

Assure

Evaluate

Research

Local health department employees’ responsibilities

Local health department employees have the responsibilities to monitor the health status of

the community to identify and solve community health related problems. This involves assessing

community wide health status, determinants, threats, and needs. Data of populations who are

greater risk than the general population of the community must be monitored. This also involves

using demographics and technology to reach diverse populations. It also involves communication

with other providers and health benefit plans to share data. LHD employees diagnose and

investigate health problems and hazards. Here they perform epidemiological investigations of

disease outbreaks and follow patterns of infectious diseases, the development of chronic disease,

and other environment dangers. They must have a lab capable of conducting rapid screening of a

high volume of patients. They inform, educate, and empower the community regarding health

issues. Here they provide health education and promote activities to better the health of the

population. Community partnerships mobilize and identify and solve health problems. LHD

employees also promote partnerships with providers, school, employers, etc… to help the

population understand the importance of good health and how to obtain good health. LHDs

develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts. Here they

develop policies to protect the health of the community. They also see that laws and regulations

that protect health and ensure safety are enforced. They also enforce childhood immunizations,


seatbelt laws, the maintenance of a clean water supply and restaurant evaluations. They inspect

safety in work places, schools, and make certain health care facilities are up to standards. They

also link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when

otherwise unavailable. They try to make certain that people who do not have access to health

care can obtain it, whether it is due to lack of money, culture, demographics or whatever is

keeping them from getting health care. They assure competent public and personal health care

workers. They make certain that public health care workers maintain the certifications for their

licenses, continuing education is provided for health care providers, and there is continuous

quality improvement. Then they evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal

and population-based health services. They evaluate their programs and make adjustments

accordingly. Finally, they research for new insights and innovative solutions to community

health problems. They look for even more improved planning and implementing better policies.

They look to academia for new information on ways to improve what they are presently doing.

("National Public Health Performance Standards Program ", 2010).

Washington County Health Department

Local health departments have brochures and literature if someone has questions but are

too shy to talk to someone. There are brochures on STD’s, pregnancy prevention and counseling,

and more. The local health department in Washington County, Tennessee, has its mission

statement posted on the wall. It is “Protect, Promote, and Improve the health and prosperity of

people in Tennessee”. The Commissioner’s Goals are “to achieve our unique competencies

through community efforts in Primary Prevention, Initiatives and to promote effective and

efficient government through People-Centered, Performance, and Improvement”. The suites


included are WIC, Immunizations, International Travel, Nutrition, Health Promotion, Dental,

Primary Care, Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Women’s Health, and CHAD/HUGS/CSS.

Their bulletin board displays “Safe Sleep” with instructions on how to place a newborn in the

crib, nutrition, demonstrating hand portion sizes of the food groups that people should consume,

and more. Some of The brochures found at the Washington County Health Department include

NET-VAC (Northeast Tennessee Vulnerable Adult Coalition), Poison Prevention, Notice of

Privacy Practices, Healthy Foods, and more (Johnson City, TN, Washington County Health

Department, personal communication, June 10, 2013).

Conclusion

Public health and health care go hand in hand. If public health was not a part of our

national health care, individual health care would be useless. Local health departments play a

huge role in keeping the population healthy, whether the population does its part in maintaining

good health. This is provided by environmental checks and rules, surveying contagious diseases

and immunizations. The population along with its local health department has the opportunity for

better health care that continues to improve.


References

Definition of public health. (2013). Retrieved from

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5120

National Public Health performance standards program . (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.cdc.gov/nphpsp/essentialservices.html

The National Academies Press. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?

record_id=10542&page=145


Healthcare

Public Health and Health Care