Health Care and Life Sciences

• Course Text: Shi, L.,& Johnson J..A., (Eds) (2014). Novick & Morrow’s Public Health Administration. Principles for Populaton-Based Management. (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 1, “Overview of Public Health Administration”
As this country faces a critical need for healthcare reform, it is more important than ever that public health professionals keep in mind the essential services that public health must provide. Chapter 1 examines this taxomony of services. It also describes the public health infrastructure—that is, the basic support for the delivery of public health activities—and explains why governmental agencies are moving in the direction of assurance and away from delivery of personal services.
Excerpt from Chapter 2, “Historical Developments in Public Health in the 21st century” (pages 24–28)
This section of Chapter 2 discusses the scope of public health practice in the early 21st century. It reviews key concepts of socioeconomic and other factors of health and the importance of population-based prevention strategies in addressing today’s public health needs.
Chapter 12, “Leadership for Public Health”

This chapter discusses several leadership theories and applications in public health, including systems thinking. Although you will have a course later in the program focusing on leadership, it is important to distinguish at this point the differences between management and leadership, and also to gain an appreciation of the public health system from a leader’s perspective. This chapter will help you better understand these topics.
• Article: Shroeder, S. A. (2007). We can do better—improving the health of the American people. New England Journal of Medicine,
357(12), 1221–1228. Retrieved from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa073350

Noting that the United States ranks poorly compared to other countries that spend less on healthcare, this article discusses pathways to improving this country’s health (defined as lower mortality and a higher level of functioning). To that end, the author argues, this country must take definite steps to addressing the health needs of poor Americans. (The full-text version of this article is available online.)

Optional Resources
• Health Affairs: The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere
http://www.healthaffairs.org/
Health Affairs, the most frequently cited journal of original, peer-reviewed research and commentary on health policy, maintains this Web site, which includes online articles and blogs that supplement its journal articles on health affairs.

Week 1 questions
Essential Services in Action in Public Health
As Dr. Lloyd Novick noted in this week’s media program, public health can be usefully described in terms of its the 10 essential services of public health. You can better understand the scope of policy and management efforts in public health by identifying specific roles associated with these essential services.

Prepare for this Discussion by reviewing the list of Essential Public Health Services in Table 1.1 (pages 4–5) and identify three roles within public health that meet any these essentials. These roles should be examples of actual jobs you know about (or find through a search) either in your community or at the state or federal level.

Post by Day 4 a response to these questions: (Reminder: Your initial response must be made in a single posting.)

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• What are three roles within public health that fulfill any of the essential services of public health? In what specific ways are the individuals working in those roles fulfilling the essential services?

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• Identify an essential service, or at least some aspect of it, that public health might find challenging to fulfill adequately and explain why you think this is so.

Week 2
Local Health Departments
Who is involved in practicing public health at the local level? What are their responsibilities? Most communities have a government-run local health department with specific duties that are mandated. To be effective, these departments must work in partnership with other organizations.

Prepare for the Discussion by reviewing descriptions of what a local public health departments should do. Then select one county in your state and create a list of five central community partners or stakeholders that are (or should be) components of that county’s public health system. Make sure to include nongovernmental entities.

Post by Day 4 a response to the following: (Reminder: Your initial response must be made in a single posting.)

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• Provide an operational definition for what a local health department is supposed to do.
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• Briefly identify five community partners or stakeholders that you think are central (or should be) components of your selected county’s public health system. These must include nongovernmental entities.

Week 3
Organizational Models at State and Local Levels
Your Learning Resources this week describe various organizational models for public health. These models vary considerably within the country. The health departments in New York state, for example, are free standing, reporting directly to the governor, whereas the health departments in North Carolina and Maryland are part of a “superagency.” Some local health departments are an extension of the statehealth department, while others are autonomous from it, though influenced by the state. Still others are semiautonomous. Any of these departments might be responsible to the city or county government or a combination of them. There are benefits and disadvantages to each of these state and local models.

Prepare for this assignment by reviewing the various organizational models, as described in your chapter, at the state and local levels. Consider these models in light of the principles of systems thinking.

Post by Day 4 a response to these questions: (Reminder: Your initial response must be made in a single posting.)

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• Describe succinctly how the organizational models at either the state or local level differ in terms of their structure and operation.
• Which organizational model would you most prefer to work in? Support your choice by discussing strengths and weaknesses that are inherent in these organizational models.

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• Identify one way in which systems thinking helps illuminate the strengths and/or weaknesses of your selected organizational model.

 

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