Public Health: What It Is and How It Works, 2nd Edition
CHAPTER 6: THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
After completing this part of the textbook, learners will be able to:
identify the major components of public health’s infrastructure
describe the public health workforce in terms of numbers, distribution, and skills
list 6 categories of universal competencies for public health professionals
describe the current status of public health organizational resources
define the term coalition and describe key steps in their development and operation
describe several major categories of public health information systems
describe the current status of the financial resources of the public health system
identify strategies for enhancing the infrastructure of public health
Read Chapter 6 of Public Health: What It Is and How It Works, 2nd edition.
Review the "Top 10" lists from previous modules. Identify the one that you feel best characterizes the most important themes and lessons from Chapter 5. Then, submit your response and review the reactions from other learners.
After you have completed this chapter, begin the series of individual exercises for learners listed below. Several of the Internet web sites you visited in earlier modules of the course will be useful for exercises related to this part of the course.
Work with your group to complete the group assignments described below.
After completing the individual and group exercises, take the self-assessment quiz for Chapter 6.
When you have answered the individual exercises and your group has submitted its position for this module's debate, plan to participate in a class discussion of the debate positions.
Each learner is required to attend a meeting of an official board of health and to provide a brief report on that meeting (no more than 300 words describing the issues raised, interests represented, and roles demonstrated by the board at that meeting). Since most boards of health meet only once a month, it is important that you plan this visit well in advance.
Individual Exercises
Each learner will submit a brief response (approximately 100 words) to each of the following discussion questions and exercises.
Infrastructure in public health can be a difficult concept to convey. Figure 6-1 from the text (page 208) is sometimes used by CDC to suggest that the infrastructure in public health is similar, in some respects, to the way we view roads, bridges, sewers, etc. as elements of the infrastructure of our communities. What important aspects or characteristics of the public health infrastructure are conveyed in this graphic?
What characteristics distinguish a public health professional from a professional working in a public health agency?
What factors determine the optimum size for a coalition?
Figure 6-5 from the text (page 243) compares the proportion of all expenditures for essential public health services (refer back to Exhibit 1-5 in Chapter 1 if you forget what we mean by essential public health services) of the various agencies in the US Public Health Service (refer back to Exhibit 4-1 in Chapter 4 if you need to) with that of states (state and local public health agencies, including environmental protection, mental health and substance abuse activities). In your opinion, what are the three most important findings from this comparison?
Because of your interest in a public health career you have been asked to provide input into the development of a training package to orient new members of your local Board of Health to their duties. Remember that Board of Health members are generally citizens from the community who are appointed or elected to represent the broad community interest in health and quality of life. What themes or messages would you suggest for this video? How would you propose presenting or packaging these messages?
Review the case study "Snow and Cholera: Part 2". Which of the universal competencies for public health professionals did Snow exhibit in his investigations of cholera in the 1850s? Justify your response using information from the case study.
Figure 6-6 from the text (page 244) identifies the source of funding for population-based public health activities in 9 states (at the state and local level). In your opinion, what are the most important implications of the data from this chart?
Develop a "Top 10" list of the most important lessons and themes from this part of the textbook.
Each group will submit a brief response (300 words or less) for each of the following exercises.
Great Debate: Each group will contribute to a debate involving the entire class. The debate for this module will focus on the most appropriate academic degree to serve as the basis for credentialing public health professionals. There are 3 propositions to be debated. Proposition A: public health should adopt a minimum credential to distinguish public health professionals; this credential should be a bachelor's level degree in public health sciences. Proposition B: public health should adopt a minimum credential to distinguish public health professionals; this credential should be a master's degree in the public health sciences. Proposition C: public health should adopt a minimum credential to distinguish public health professionals; this credential should be a doctoral level degree in the public health sciences. Proposition D: public health should adopt a minimum credential to distinguish public health professionals, but this should not be based on any academic degree. Each group will select one of these four positions to argue, and each group will submit a summary of their arguments.
In addition, each group should continue working on Public Health Practice Exercise 2. Completion of this exercise extends over the period covering Chapters 5 through 7 of the course.
This is a compendium of additional references and web links to selected sources cited in the readings. Also included are selected materials that have become available since the publication date of the text. All links to case studies, web sites, and other documents can also be found on the "Additional Resources" page.
American Public Health Association. Guide to Media Relations
American Public Health Association. Innovations in Public Health Practice (8-10 brief project descriptions)
American Public Health Association. Translating Data into Useful Information
Association of Schools of Public Health. Strong Schools, Strong Partners: A Report on Practice Activities of Schools of Public Health. ASPH; Washington DC; 1997
CDC/ATSDR Committee on Community Engagement. Principles of Community Engagement. CDC Public Health Practice Program Office; Atlanta GA; 1997
Lewin Group. Strategies for Obtaining Public health Infrastructure Data at Federal, State and Local Levels, Final Report. Contract with USDHHS-PHS. October 1997
Public Health Functions Project. The Public Health Workforce: An Agenda for the 21st Century. USDHHS-PHS; Washington Dc; 1997
USDHHS-Public Health Service. Healthy People 2010: Public Health Infrastructure Objectives; Washington DC; USDHHS-PHS; 2000.
A brief self-assessment quiz is available by clicking on Quiz 6.
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