Amber Thomas HCA 404

February 8, 2015

Public Health Improving Population Health

Public health refers to all organized measures “to prevent disease, promote health, and

prolong life among the population as a whole” (“Public Health,” 2015). Its activities aim to

provide conditions in which people can be healthy and its focus is on entire populations, not on

individual patients or diseases. By improving the public health system we are inevitably

improving population health as well. There are many areas within the system that could be

improved, but the ones currently needing more attention include supporting more interaction

between primary care and public health, strengthening governmental public health, and the

exploration of community based action to influence the public’s health at a more localized level.

Public health organizations and professionals work to improve the lives of everyone, and if these

three areas were addressed, I think that overall population health would definitely improve.

Primary care physicians and public health have critical roles in providing the health and

well being of communities across the nation, and “although they share a common goal,

historically they have operated independently of each other” (“Primary Care and,” 2012). It

would be hard to come up with a specific model or template of how integration of the two should

look like, but their overall goals are very similar. Primary care physicians promote preventative

care for patients. Preventative care improves and lowers the cost of care for whole communities,

and ultimately improves population health. Promoting preventative care through primary care

can address individual needs of patients, as well as addressing community health concerns.

Strengthening of governmental public health needs to be addressed at the federal, state,

and local levels. A strong public health infrastructure provides “the capacity to prepare for and

respond to both acute (emergency) and chronic (ongoing) threats to the nation’s health”

(“Strengthening the Public,” 2012). To have a strong public health infrastructure the United

States needs a capable and qualified workforce, up-to-date data and information systems, and

“public health agencies capable of assessing and responding to public health needs”

(“Strengthening the Public,” 2012). Public health is so important because the country needs to

ensure that appropriate health care services are available to meet the population’s healthcare

needs. Ensuring that the federal, state, tribal, and local agencies have the necessary infrastructure

to effectively provide essential public health services is also a part of the 2020 Healthy People

Objectives. Strengthening public health, financially, and through improved infrastructure will in

turn improve population health.

Educational and community based programs to address local health needs will have

larger impacts because it is specifically addressing the needs of a population in a localized area.

If that is done nationwide than slowly, the country will see health improvements of the whole

population that was accomplished in thousands of localized efforts. Education and community-

based programs and strategies are “designed to reach people outside of traditional health care

settings. These settings may include: schools, worksites, health care facilities, and communities”

(“Educational and Community,” 2014). Each different setting provides opportunities to reach

people using existing social structures, which maximizes the impact and reduces the time and

resources necessary for program development. Educational and community-based programs

“encourage and enhance health and wellness by education communities” (“Educational and

Community,” 2014) on various topics such as chronic diseases, injury and violence prevention,

mental illness/behavioral health, unintended pregnancy, oral health, nutrition and obesity

prevention, physical activity, etc. Education is a key component in addressing public health

needs, and by dispensing that information in efficient and effective ways could make a huge

impact to communities all over the country, especially if they are done in conjunction with the

use and access to primary health, and the infrastructure to back it.

Public health has many important goals that it would like to meet, but the funding and

support behind public health never truly matches its aspirations. These three areas of public

health would address needs within the public health system and greatly improve the population

of the United States. However, I think it is highly unlikely these areas will ever fully reach their

maximum potential, but even small changes to the system can make important differences.

Resources

Educational and Community-Based Programs. (2014, January 5). Retrieved February 9, 2015,

from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/educational-and-

community-based-programs

Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health - Institute

of

Medicine. (2012, March 28). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from

http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2012/Primary-Care-and-Public-Health.aspx

Public Health. (2015, January 1). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from

http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story076/en/

Strengthening the Public Health Infrastructure. (2012, April 16). Retrieved February 9, 2015,

from http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/current_policy_papers/assets/public_health.pdf