scholarly journals Controlling Tuberculosis in the United States: Use of Isolation and Other Measures Throughout the Country

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Katz ◽  
Andrea Vaught
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Community Support ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Evidentiary Standards ◽  
Depth Interviews

AbstractObjectivesWe sought to better understand the tools used by public health officials in the control of tuberculosis (TB).MethodsWe conducted a series of in-depth interviews with public health officials at the local, state, and federal levels to better understand how health departments around the country use isolation measures to control TB.ResultsState and local public health officials’ use of social distancing tools in infection control varies widely, particularly in response to handling noncompliant patients. Judicial and community support, in addition to financial resources, impacted the incentives and enablers used to maintain isolation of infectious TB patients.ConclusionsInstituting social distancing requires authorities and resources and can be impacted by evidentiary standards, risk assessments, political will, and community support. Awareness of these factors, as well as knowledge of state and local uses of social distancing measures, is essential to understanding what actions are most likely to be instituted during a public health emergency and to target interventions to better prepare health departments to utilize the best available tools necessary to control the spread of disease. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:337–342)

scholarly journals Local Decision Making for Implementing Social Distancing in Response to Outbreaks

2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Katz ◽  
Andrea Vaught ◽  
Samuel J. Simmens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Local Decision ◽  
Population Demographic

Objectives: Social distancing is the practice of restricting contact among persons to prevent the spread of infection. This study sought to (1) identify key features of preparedness and the primary concerns of local public health officials in deciding to implement social distancing measures and (2) determine whether any particular factor could explain the widespread variation among health departments in responses to past outbreaks. Methods: We conducted an online survey of health departments in the United States in 2015 to understand factors influencing health departments’ decision making when choosing whether to implement social distancing measures. We paired survey results with data on area population demographic characteristics and analyzed them with a focus on broad trends. Results: Of 600 health departments contacted, 150 (25%) responded. Of these 150 health departments, 63 (42%) indicated that they had implemented social distancing in the past 10 years. Only 10 (7%) health departments had a line-item budget for isolation or quarantine. The most common concern about social distancing was public health impact (n = 62, 41%). Concerns about law, politics, finances, vulnerable populations, and sociocultural issues were each identified by 7% to 10% of health departments. We were unable to clearly predict which factors would influence these decisions. Conclusions: Variations in the decision to implement social distancing are likely the result of differences in organizational authority and resources and in the primary concerns about implementing social distancing. Research and current social distancing guidelines for health departments should address these factors.

scholarly journals Start at the Center: Age-Friendly Public Health Systems and Healthy Brain Initiative Frameworks

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 720-720
Author(s):  
Megan Wolfe ◽  
Molly French ◽  
John Shean
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Community Connections ◽  
State And Local

Abstract SIGNIFICANCE. Older adults can contribute wisdom, skills, and time to communities. The public health sector has unique capabilities for creating conditions that promote health, foster community connections, and quality of life. METHODS. Two frameworks provide public health (PH) with core strategies to improve outcomes for all older adults. The Framework for Creating an Age-Friendly Public Health System (AFPHS) supports the PH role, as demonstrated by 37 of Florida’s 67 county health departments that are piloting the AFPHS Framework. The Healthy Brain Initiative’s (HBI) State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia is a framework for action used by PH to promote cognitive health, improve care for cognitive impairment, and increase caregiving supports. Both frameworks call for utilizing regional data and cross-sector partnerships. IMPLICATIONS. PH can contribute to community-wide initiatives to promote well-being and community connections for older adults. Cross-sector partnerships can start by using available tools and planning guides.

scholarly journals The Effects of Community Size, Control Over Agenda, and Contextual Variables on Zika Virus Preparation of Public Information Officers at Local Public Health Departments

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Avery
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Size Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Community Size ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Departments ◽  
Public Information Officers ◽  
Local Public Health Departments

As Zika emerged as a major global health threat, public information officers (PIOs) at local public health departments across the United States prepared for outbreaks of the virus amid great uncertainty. Using the crisis and risk emergency communication (CERC) model to inform this study, PIOs (n = 226) at public health departments were surveyed to assess how community size, perceived control over health agenda, and other considerations such as resources and federal influences affected their satisfaction with Zika preparedness in their departments. These contextual, indirect factors may moderate planning efforts for Zika and other health emergencies and thus should be considered in crisis management and planning models such as CERC.

Domestic Legal Preparedness and Response to Ebola

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (S1) ◽  
pp. 15-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G. Hodge ◽  
Matthew S. Penn ◽  
Montrece Ransom ◽  
Jane E. Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Extensive Discussion ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Emory University ◽  
State And Local

While the global threat of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in 2014 was concentrated in several West African countries, its effects have been felt in many developed countries including the United States. Initial, select patients with EVD, largely among American health care workers (HCWs) volunteering in affected regions, were subsequently transported back to the states for isolation and treatment in high-level medical facilities. This included Emory University Hospital, which sits adjacent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.The first domestic case of EVD occurred in late September in Dallas, Texas. Additional exposures of two HCWs generated an array of legal issues for state and local public health authorities, hospitals, and providers. Consideration of these issues led to extensive discussion among lawyers, public health practitioners, and other attendees at a late-breaking session on EVD and Legal Preparedness at the 2014 National Public Health Law conference. In this commentary, session presenters from CDC and Emory University share their expert perspectives on legal and policy issues underlying state and local powers to quarantine and isolate persons exposed to or infected with Ebola, as well as facets of hospital preparedness underlying the successful treatment of patients with EVD.

scholarly journals Measuring the Success of the US COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign—It’s Time to Invest in and Strengthen Immunization Information Systems

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e3
Author(s):  
Jade Benjamin-Chung ◽  
Arthur Reingold
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Time Estimates ◽  
The Us ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
State And Local

With the recent US Food and Drug Administration approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the United States has begun COVID-19 vaccine dissemination. The vaccination program is historic in its massive scope and complexity. It requires accurate, real-time estimates of vaccine coverage to assess progress toward achieving herd immunity. Under Operation Warp Speed, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has constructed a federal database, or “data lake,” to monitor vaccine coverage nationwide and ensure that recipients receive both of the necessary doses. The data lake will be managed separately from existing state and local immunization information systems (IISs), which house vaccine data in all 50 states, five cities, the District of Columbia, and eight territories. In an open letter to the Director of the CDC in late 2020, four organizations representing immunization managers and public health officials expressed concerns about the plan to include vaccine recipients’ personal identifier information in the data lake.1 They also urged stronger coordination with IISs. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print Feburary 18, 2021: e1–e3. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306177 )

scholarly journals Promoting Health Equity Through Partnerships

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 252-252
Author(s):  
Karon Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Departments ◽  
State And Local

Abstract Funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, Trust for America’s Health’s (TFAH) Healthy Aging initiative has supported states as they develop Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS). The goal of this national initiative is to make healthy aging a core function of state and local public health departments. Through this initiative, TFAH is working directly with states as they work to improve the health of older adults, with a particular focus on health equity. Given the increased prevalence of health disparities, prioritizing health equity has become important for many organizations. Through new partnerships and collaboration with aging services providers and health care systems, public health departments have developed innovative ways to improve the health and well-being of older adults from racial/ethnically diverse backgrounds. Areas of collaboration between the public health and aging sectors include sharing data on older adult health and working together to address social isolation.

Different Responses to COVID-19 in Four US States: Washington, New York, Missouri, and Alabama

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e5
Author(s):  
Paul C. Erwin ◽  
Kenneth W. Mucheck ◽  
Ross C. Brownson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
United States Public Health ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Constitution ◽  
State And Local

In the United States, public health is largely the responsibility of state governments’ implementing authority specified in their constitutions or reserved to states under the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution. The public health–related powers granted to the federal government are substantially less and derive primarily from the Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8) of the US Constitution. In public health emergencies over the past several decades, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has played a major role in providing guidance, resources, and other support to state and local public health departments, for example, in large foodborne disease outbreaks, in response to major natural disasters, and especially in response to large-scale infectious disease threats (e.g., West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and H1N1 influenza).1 (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 28, 2021: e1–e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306111 )

scholarly journals Master’s-Level Education in the Governmental Public Health Workforce

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-657
Author(s):  
Jonathon P. Leider ◽  
Katie Sellers ◽  
Kyle Bogaert ◽  
Brian C. Castrucci ◽  
Paul C. Erwin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Master's Degree ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Master’S Degree ◽  
State And Local

Objectives More than 16 000 graduate degrees in public health are awarded annually. Yet only 14% of the governmental public health workforce has formal public health training of any kind, and 8% has a master of public health (MPH) degree. We characterized the differences among governmental staff members with master’s degrees across US health departments. Methods We used data from the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, a national survey of state and local public health departments (43 669 responses; response rate, 48%). We examined the characteristics of the workforce by educational attainment and compared respondents who had obtained a “terminal” (ie, highest degree obtained) MPH degree with respondents who had obtained a terminal non–public health (non-PH) master’s degree. Results Respondents who had a non-PH master’s degree were as likely as respondents who had an MPH degree to hold a supervisory role (43% vs 41%; P = .67). We found only 1 significant difference between the 2 groups: respondents aged ≤40 with a terminal MPH degree were significantly less likely than respondents aged ≤40 with a non-PH master’s degree to earn more than the national average salary (adjusted odds ratio = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.47-0.97; P = .03). Conclusions We found only marginal differences in career outcomes for people working in governmental public health who had a terminal MPH degree vs a terminal non-PH master’s degree. This finding does not necessitate a full reconsideration of the MPH as it relates to governmental public health practice but a greater recognition that there are multiple paths into practice.

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