Regional public health preparedness teams in North Carolina: An analysis of their structural capacity and impact on services provided

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Horney, PhD, MPH ◽  
Milissa Markiewicz, MPH ◽  
Anne Marie Meyer, PhD ◽  
Julie Casani, MD, MPH ◽  
Jennifer Hegle, MPH ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Medical Doctor ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Team Composition ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The North ◽  
Structural Capacity

In December 2001, the North Carolina Division of Public Health established Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams (PHRSTs) to build local public health capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health incidents and events. Seven PHRSTs are colocated at local health departments (LHDs) around the state.The authors assessed structural capacity of the PHRSTs and analyzed the relationship between structural capacity and the frequency of support and services provided to LHDs by PHRSTs. Five categories of structural capacity were measured: human, fiscal, informational, physical, and organizational resources. In addition, variation in structural capacity among teams was also examined.The most variation was seen in human resources. Although each team was originally designed to include a physician/epidemiologist, industrial hygienist, nurse/epidemiologist, and administrative support technician, team composition varied such that only the administrative support technician is common to all teams. Variation in team composition was associated with differences in the support and services that PHRSTs provide to LHDs.Teams that reported having a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine (χ2 = 9.95; p 0.01) or an epidemiologist (χ2 = 5.35; p 0.02) had larger budgets and provided more support and services, and teams that housed a pharmacist reported more partners (χ2 = 52.34; p 0.01). Teams that received directives from more groups (such as LHDs) also provided more support and services in planning (Z = 21.71; p 0.01), communication and liaison (Z = 12.11; p 0.01), epidemiology and surveillance (Z = 5.09; p 0.01), consultation and technical support (Z = 2.25; p = 0.02), H1N1 outbreak assistance (Z = 10.25; p 0.01), and public health event response (Z = 2.19; p = 0.03).In the last 10 years, significant variation in structural capacity, particularly in human resources, has been introduced among PHRSTs. These differences explain much of the variation in support and services provided to LHDs by PHRSTs.

Roles for State-Level Local Health Liaison Officials in Local Public Health Surveillance and Capacity Building

1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 41-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard J. Turnock ◽  
Arden S. Handler ◽  
William Hall ◽  
Steven Potsic ◽  
Judith Munson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Public Health Surveillance ◽  
State Level ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Local Public Health

scholarly journals Supply-and-demand projections for the health workforce at a provincial level from 2015 to 2025 in Ilam, Iran

2020 ◽  
pp. 201010582094323
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bazyar ◽  
Somayeh Noori Hekmat ◽  
Sima Rafiei ◽  
Amin Mirzaei ◽  
Masoomeh Otaghi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Local Health

Background: Human resources are the key component of health systems. It is critical to have the right number of human resources at anytime and anywhere in the health system. This article aims to help local health decision makers to identify potential gaps between the future supply and demand of human resources and to make necessary changes in medical training processes to fill the gap. Methods: An eight-stage process was applied to project the supply and demand of health workers in Ilam province in 2025 for the following fields: public health, environmental health, general medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and midwifery. To estimate the demand for human resources, a mainly population-based model (manpower-to-population ratio) was applied. A modified version of the Australian dynamic stock and flow model was used to predict the supply of new recruits in 2025. The potential surplus or shortfall in the health workforce was calculated by comparing the supply and demand in 2025. Results: The demand and supply projections for the chosen fields were estimated respectively as: general medicine 457, 709; pharmacy 131, 86; dentistry 86, 251; nursing 949, 1657; midwifery 24, 247; public health 182, 211; and environmental health 92, 225. Conclusions: The current trend of medical graduates will meet the need for human resources in 2025, and there is no need to increase medical student admission. The Education Deputy of Ilam Medical University should take into account the health needs of its catchment area in medical educational processes and training new health-care staff.

Legal Protections to Promote Response Willingness Among the Local Public Health Workforce

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Rutkow ◽  
Jon S. Vernick ◽  
Carol B. Thompson ◽  
Rachael Piltch-Loeb ◽  
Daniel J. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Emergency Scenarios

AbstractObjectiveThe legal environment may improve response willingness among local health department (LHD) workers. We examined whether 3 hypothetical legal protections influence LHD workers’ self-reported response willingness for 4 emergency scenarios and whether specific demographic factors are associated with LHD workers’ response willingness given these legal protections.MethodsOur 2011–2012 survey included questions on demographics and about attitudes and beliefs regarding LHD workers’ willingness to respond to 4 emergency scenarios given specific legal protections (i.e., ensuring priority health care for workers’ families, granting workers access to mental health services, and guaranteeing access to personal protective equipment). Data were collected from 1238 LHD workers in 3 states.ResultsAcross scenarios, between 60% and 83% of LHD workers agreed that they would be more willing to respond given the presence of 1 of the 3 hypothetical legal protections. Among the 3 legal protections, a guarantee of personal protective equipment elicited the greatest agreement with improved response willingness.ConclusionsSpecific legal protections augment a majority of LHD workers’ response willingness. Policymakers must, however, balance improved response willingness with other considerations, such as the ethical implications of prioritizing responders over the general public. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:98–102)

Health Promotion at the Ballpark

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonni C. Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Collegiate Baseball

The arrival of a new summer collegiate baseball league franchise to a small central New York city was seen as an opportunity for health promotion. The initiative was set up to explore two overarching questions: (1) Are summer collegiate baseball events acceptable to local public health organizations as viable places for health promotion activities addressing local health issues? (2) Are summer collegiate baseball organizations amenable to health promotion activities built in to their fan and/or player experiences? Planning and implementation were guided by precede–proceed, social cognitive theory, social marketing, and diffusion of innovations constructs. Environmental changes were implemented to support healthy eating and nontobacco use by players and fans; four health awareness nights were implemented at home games corresponding to local public health priorities and included public service announcements, between inning quizzes, information dissemination at concession and team market locations, and special guests. Sales and fan feedback support mostly healthy concession offerings and a tobacco-free ballpark; postseason evaluations from team staff and public health partners support continuing the trials of this sports event as a venue for health promotion.

What Predicts Local Public Health Agency Performance Improvement? A Pilot Study in North Carolina

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. E22-E33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjum Hajat ◽  
Dorothy Cilenti ◽  
Lisa M. Harrison ◽  
Pia D.M. MacDonald ◽  
Denise Pavletic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Public Health Agency ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Local Public Health Agency

scholarly journals Public health agendas addressing violence against rural women - an analysis of local level health services in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1379-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Cocco da Costa ◽  
Marta Julia Marques Lopes ◽  
Joannie dos Santos Fachinelli Soares
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Rio Grande ◽  
The State ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Rio Grande Do Sul ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Municipal Health ◽  
Health Managers

This study analyses health managers' perceptions of local public health agendas addressing violence against rural women in municipalities in the southern part of the State Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. It consists of an exploratory descriptive study utilizing a qualitative approach. Municipal health managers responsible for planning actions directed at women's health and primary health care were interviewed. The analysis sought to explore elements of programmatic vulnerability related to violence in the interviewees' narratives based on the following dimensions of programmatic vulnerability: expression of commitment, transformation of commitment into action, and planning and coordination. It was found that local health agendas directed at violence against rural women do not exist. Health managers are therefore faced with the challenge of defining lines of action in accordance with the guidelines and principles of the SUS. The repercussions of this situation are expressed in fragile comprehensive services for these women and programmatic vulnerability.

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