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Executive Summary
Pages 1-18

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From page 1...
... The report reviews national health achievements in recent decades, but also examines the hidden vuinerabilities that undercut current health potential, and that, if not addressed, could produce a decline in the future health status of the American people. The concept of health as a public good is discussed, as is the fundamental duty of government to promote and protect the health of the public.
From page 2...
... The emphasis on an intersectoral public health system does not supersede the special duty of the governmental public health agencies but, rather, complements it with a call for the contributions of other sectors of society that have enormous power to influence health. A public health system would include the governmental public health agencies, the health care delivery system, and the public health and health sciences academia, sectors that are heavily engaged and more clearly identified with health activities.
From page 3...
... The governmentai public health Infrastructure has suffered from political neglect and from the pressure of political agendas and public opinion that frequently override empirical evidence. Under the glare of a national crisis, policy makers and the public became aware of vulnerable and outdated health information systems and technologies, an insufficient and inadequately trained public health workforce, antiquated laboratory capacity, a lack of real-time surveillance and epidemiological systems, ineffective and fragmented communications networks, incomplete domestic preparedness and emergency response capabilities, and communities without access to essential public health services.
From page 4...
... , in consultation with states, should appoint a national commission to develop a framework and recommendations for state public health law reform. In particular, the national commission would review all existing public health law as well as the Turning Pointi Model State Public Health Act and the Model State 1 Turning Point, a program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson and the W
From page 5...
... 2. All federal, state, and local governmental public health agencies should develop strategies to ensure that public health workers who are involved in the provision of essential public health services demonstrate mastery of the core public health competencies appropriate to their jobs.
From page 6...
... The dialogue should include representatives from federal, state, and local public health agencies, academia, and public health professional organizations who can represent and discuss the various perspectives on the workforce credentialing debate (Chapter 3~. Finding: Developments in communication and information technologies present both opportunities and challenges to attaining the vision of healthy people in healthy communities.
From page 7...
... 1 ne pUDllC aVallability of these reports will enable state and local public health agencies to use them for continual self-assessment and evaluation (Chapter 3~. Finding: The capacity of the nation's public health laboratories should be assessed.
From page 8...
... State and local governments should also provide adequate, consistent, and sustainable funding for the governmental public health infrastructure (Chapter 3~. Finding: Current funding structures frequently burden the work of state and local public health jurisdictions with administrative requirements.
From page 9...
... Membership on this commission should include representatives from CDC, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, and nongovernmental organizations (Chapter 3~. Finding: Research is needed to guide policy decisions that shape public health practice.
From page 10...
... This National Public Health Council would bring together the Secretary of DHHS and state health commissioners at least annually to Provide a forum for communication and collaboration on action to achieve national health goals as articulated in Healthy People 2010; Advise the Secretary of DHHS on public health issues; Advise the Secretary of DHHS on financing and regulations that affect governmental public health capacity at the state and local levels; Provide a forum for overseeing the development of an incentive-based federal-state-funded system to sustain a governmental public health infrastructure that can assure the availability of essential public health services to every American community and can monitor progress toward this goal (e.g., through report cards) ; Review and evaluate the domestic policies of other cabinet agencies for their impact on national health outcomes (e.g., through health impact reports)
From page 11...
... Such a focus would include realistic time lines, an emphasis on ongoing community engagement and leadership, and a final goal of institutionalizing effective project components in the local community or public health system as appropriate (Chapter 4~. Health Care Delivery System Finding: Health care is an important determinant of population and individual health.
From page 12...
... Preventive Services Task Force and provide evidence-based coverage of oral health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment services (Chapter 5~. Finding: As the public health system strains to meet the challenges posed by increasing costs, an aging population, and a range of threats to health, it will need a meaningful partnership with the health care delivery sector to attain their shared population health goals.
From page 13...
... As an early step, the corporate and governmental public health community should: a. Strengthen partnership and collaboration by · Developing direct linkages between local public health agencies and business leaders to forge a common language and understanding of employee and community health problems and to participate in setting community health goals and strategies for achieving them, and Developing innovative ways for the corporate and governmental public health communities to gather, interpret, and exchange mutually meaningful data and information, such .
From page 14...
... Moreover, public health efforts and especially the activities of governmental public health agencies often receive and attract little media attention, explaining in part the widespread lack of understanding about the concepts and content of public health activities (i.e., population-level health promotion and protection, as well as disease prevention)
From page 15...
... Academia Finding: Academia provides degree and continuing education to a significant proportion of the public health workforce. Consistent with the previous recommendations to assess workforce competency and develop strategies to overcome deficits, changes are needed in both academic settings and curricula and in the financial support available to students training for careers in public health.
From page 16...
... Funding should also be provided to strengthen the Public Health Training Center program to effectively meet the educational needs of the existing public health workforce and to facilitate public health worker access to the centers. Support for leadership training of state and local health department directors and local community leaders should continue through funding of the National and Regional Public Health Leadership Institutes and distance-learning materials developed by HRSA and CDC (Chapter 8~.
From page 17...
... The findings and recommendations outlined above illustrate the areas of action and change that the committee believes should be emphasized by all potential actors in the public health system. Recommendations are directed to many parties, because in a society as diverse and decentralized as that of the United States, achieving population health requires contributions from all levels of government, the private business sector, and the variety of institutions and organizations that shape opportunities, attitudes, behaviors, and resources affecting health.
From page 18...
... 2002. The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act: planning for and response to bioterrorism and naturally occurring infectious diseases.


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