The Need for Medical Care Specialists in State and Local Health Departments

ONE of the pending medical bills which will undoubtedly receive active attention in the second session of the 82d Congress is the Local Health Units Bill (S.445). This bill, to which we have referred in this column (March 1951 ), proposes an increase in Federal aid to the States to help establish and maintain a Nation-wide network of full-time local health departments. The stimulating effect of a tie-in with the defense program was given to the measure when the President urged Congress to approve such legislation in order that communities in defense areas may be provided with the means of meeting the increased burdens of sanitation, protection of food and water supplies, services for preschool and school children and other services to prevent disease and promote health. S.445 was passed by the Senate. The House Interstate Commerce Committee is now considering this and similar bills. Several points at issue are whether this measure should be limited to the defense emergency period ; how public health services should be defined; and the kind of minimum standards to be required. While this legislation is currently under discussion, new light has been thrown upon many of the important questions involved. A highly significant report, recently published by the American Public Health Association, describes the changing concepts of the functions of local health departments and the extent to which they are now operating general medical care programs. in the first place, this report calls attention to the trend to place responsibility for medical care of the indigent and the needy in state and local departments of health.

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Demonstration Projects for State and Local Health Departments: HIV Rapid Testing to Improve Outcomes for Partner Counseling, Testing, and Referral Services (PCTRS)

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e412192005-001 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

Local Health ◽

Health Departments ◽

Rapid Testing ◽

Local Health Departments ◽

Hiv Rapid Testing ◽

State And Local

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General Medical Care Programs in Local Health Departments

American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.42.3.315-a ◽

1952 ◽

Vol 42 (3) ◽

pp. 315-315

Author(s):

Wilson M. Wing

Keyword(s):

Medical Care ◽

Local Health ◽

Health Departments ◽

Local Health Departments ◽

General Medical Care

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HIV Testing and Positivity Patterns of Partners of HIV-Diagnosed People in Partner Services Programs, United States, 2013-2014

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354917710943 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 132 (4) ◽

pp. 455-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Wei Song ◽

Mesfin S. Mulatu ◽

Michele Rorie ◽

Hui Zhang ◽

John W. Gilford

Keyword(s):

Hiv Testing ◽

Hiv Infections ◽

Geographic Region ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Local Health ◽

Health Departments ◽

Local Health Departments ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Undiagnosed Hiv ◽

State And Local

Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) partner services are an integral part of comprehensive HIV prevention programs. We examined the patterns of HIV testing and positivity among partners of HIV-diagnosed people who participated in partner services programs in CDC-funded state and local health departments. Methods: We analyzed data on 21 484 partners submitted in 2013-2014 by 55 health departments. We conducted descriptive and multivariate analyses to examine patterns of HIV testing and positivity by demographic characteristics and geographic region. Results: Of 21 484 partners, 16 275 (75.8%) were tested for HIV; 4503 of 12 886 (34.9%) partners with test results were identified as newly HIV-positive. Compared with partners aged 13-24, partners aged 35-44 were less likely to be tested for HIV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-0.95) and more likely to be HIV-positive (aOR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.20-1.52). Partners who were male (aOR = 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81-0.97) and non-Hispanic black (aOR = 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63-0.74) were less likely to be tested but more likely to be HIV-positive (male aOR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.64-2.01; non-Hispanic black aOR = 1.52; 95% CI, 1.38-1.66) than partners who were female and non-Hispanic white, respectively. Partners in the South were more likely than partners in the Midwest to be tested for HIV (aOR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.35-1.80) and to be HIV-positive (aOR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.81-2.65). Conclusions: Partner services programs implemented by CDC-funded health departments are successful in providing HIV testing services and identifying previously undiagnosed HIV infections among partners of HIV-diagnosed people. Demographic and regional differences suggest the need to tailor these programs to address unique needs of the target populations.

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