EPID-600 Introduction to Public Health
Introductory session
History, goals and organization of public health.
Students should be able to describe:
- How public health issues have affected health status over more than 4000 years.
- The purpose and outline methods used to develop public health policy and goals.
- The organization of federal, state and local health departments.
- Common activities carried out at each level, as well as certain special activities restricted to a particular organizational level.
- Who, what, when, why that make up the practice of public health
References
A History of Public Health. George Rosen, 'Future of Public Health'. IOM.
Maxcy Rosenau 13th Edition: Scan Chaps. 1 & 69, HD Handbook, Chapter 2 pp 9 - 11. 14th Edn. Scan Chaps 1 & 6
Reading
Introduction to Public health :Schneider. Chapters 1 through 3. Be prepared to discuss the questions at end of each chapter.
Review the USPHS & Virginia Department of Health [VDH] Web pages'
The continuing theme of this course is that epidemiologic and biostatistical expertise are the underlying skills needed for all activities, whatever the field, in public health. Visit Healthy People 2010 before each evenings' session and review that part of the Healthy People Process which relates to the evening's discussion, to prepare your thoughts for the discussion boards.
The first, and probably the only material you need to memorize from the entire course is:
- The Ten Essential Public Health Servicess which are further expanded in
- The Essential Public Health Functions.
These
functions are the basis of public health as it enters
the second millennium. They are the most recent consensus
among the major national public health groups, following
the 1998 "Future of Public Health" book
(see link to the on-line text below), produced by
the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy
of Sciences. This book should be part
of your own permanent library.
The ten essentials
are the culmination of over 2000 years of development of
'Hygiene" practice as identified in the web page on
the history of public
health. , Dr Ted Tweel, the health director
of Hanover County Health Department, has provided a short history
of major events in Virginia's public health. Also review the
History of Public Health in Virginia, prepared by Jeff Lake, Deputy Commissioner of Health, VDH [November 2004.] (.pdf version) Read Elizabeth Fee's Unfulfilled Promise ( needs Adobe Reader) For every lecture/disussion
of the MPH program you should consider how the specific session
incorporates the five basic skills of public health which
are: Then you should consider whether
they also incorporate the following extended skill set which
the IOM 2003 study recommended as being incorporated into
all public health education: Also look at the Core
Competencies Project of the Council of Linkages.
These core competencies are the application of the ten essentials
(above.) While
you are visiting this site look at home page to learn
about the Council on Linkages. Each session will include
a continuing focus on public health policy in practice. Policy
development will be discussed in the Winter Term
in Dr. Lanier's course. The outline of Dr.
Nelson's discussion of goals and policies in the
public health arena are found in the Goals
web page, (pdf-Handouts) Part 2 of tonight's session Recent literature
on ethical relationships between
patients and their physicians are applicable to communities
and their public health agencies as partners Also,
in preparation for the remainder of the course review
the content
for training in public health AGAIN, recommended by
the Teachers of Preventive Medicine. This
outline was prepared as a supplement to the Ten Essential
Functions, referred to above. This outline is pertinent
to anyone planning to practice public health and
should be used as a learning tool in every course
you take. This will allow you to see how the various
elements of each course fit into, and complement,
the other courses to ensure that you will be have
acquired the skills necessary to carry out the Ten
Essentials. when you are awarded your MPH. Consider
this organization
chart as one way of displaying the major elements
of health care provided in the U.S.
If you want to print out this
graphic use landscape mode. Also, Additional Useful Readings:
Take a look at death rates for the five leading casue of death in 1900 and see how they have changed. Also, look at tha changes in life expectancy in the U.S. over the last 150 years. Look at the WHO Global Challenges for Public Health -2002. How good is health care in the US, compared to other countries? Can you find the answer onthe web and put your conclusion in the first section of the discussion board.?
National Academies Webcasts
Is American health care the best?
Bioinformatics Standards
Preventive Counseling
Future Health care Issues
Prevention Database
Key Resources on Health Coverage and the Uninsured
How to read an article
WHO & US Health Care
State H.D. Organization Charts
National Academy Press
The Public's opinion about Public Health
The Future of Public Health