Public Health Chapter 3
What are state departments usually charged with?
Licensing and certification of medical personnel, facilities and services.
Where does funding for state health department activities come from?
Mostly from state taxes and federal grants
What is OSHA, and what is it an example of?
OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Department of Labor. It is an agency set up due to work injury and illness.
Who is the prime agency for the environment?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
What's an example of interstate commerce provisions?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA); put in place to regulate foods, drugs, medical devices and cosmetics.
Who is the nation's leading spokesperson on public health matters?
The Surgeon General
What is the ultimate authority that allows the law to be written?
The constitution or charter
What is the most common local agency for public health?
The county health department
Local health departments have what responsibility?
The day-to-day responsibility for public health matters in their jurisdiction. E.g., Collecting health statistics; providing health education; conducting sanitation programs; running school health programs. Mental health may or may not be a responsibility of a separate agency
When are police powers invoked?
1) To prevent a person from harming others 2) To defend the interests of incompetent persons such as children or the mentally retarded 3) To protect a person from harming him/herself.
Who ultimately has the responsibility of public health and why?
The government because many public health activities curtail the rights of individuals.
How can the federal government involve itself in public health?
The government can regulate interstate commerce and collect taxes that allow it to achieve goals it otherwise lacks the authority to achieve.
What's an example of the power to tax and spend?
The government mandating that, as a precondition for receiving highway construction funds, states must pass helmet laws.
Who's concern are those who lack private health insurance? How do they handle hospitals treating uninsured patients?
The state department. The state may provide funding to hospitals as reimbursement for treating uninsured patients.
What is the states primary constitutional responsibility?
The states have the primary constitutional responsibility and authority for the protection of the health, safety and general welfare of the population, and much of this responsibility falls on the state health departments.
Whom as the primary responsibility of public health?
The states, as the constitution doesn't mention health
How do the states delegate public health activities?
They delegate activities to local governments.
Where do state departments get their funding?
They depend heavily on federal money for many programs. This limits their authority due to strings attached to federal money.
What do levels of government do to handle the increasingly complex technical issues associated with public health?
They set up administrative agencies to perform public health functions. This is because the need for expertise is recognized.
What does the EPA do?
Carry out programs dealing with water pollution, air pollution, toxic substance control, and other environmental issues.
What are the prominent agencies for the HHS?
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the FDA.
What are other components of HHS?
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid; the Agency for Healthcare Research and QUality.
What does the FDA do?
In addition to ensuring that the food supply is safe and nutritious, evaluating all new drugs, food, additives, and colorings, and certain medical devices, the FDA also regulates vaccines and diagnostic tests, animal drugs, and cosmetics.
What does the Department of Agriculture do?
In addition to monitoring meat safety, they oversee food & nutrition programs, including food stamps and school lunches.
What does the CDC's mission include now beyond only epidemics?
Includes chronic disease, genetics, injury and violence, and environmental health.
Where does the source of funds for local health departments come from?
It varies widely among states (some states provide bulk of funding and others do not) (the federal government may fund directly or may pass it to through the states) A portion of the budget usually comes from local property and sales tax, and from fees the department charges for some services.
What's special about the NIH?
It's the greatest biomedical research complex in the world (own research labs).
What are the nongovernmental roles in pubic health.
many nongovernmental organizations play important roles in education, lobbying and research. E.g., the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society whom, along with others, lobby Congress for resources and policies to benefit their causes. They'll also conduct campaigns to educate the public.
What must authorize the government's public health activities?
Authorized by legislation at the federal, state or local levels.
At any level of government, a legislature, perceiving a need, passes what?
A statute that may be challenged in court
What does the Department of Veteran Affairs do?
Administers health and medical services to veterans.
What must public health leaders do?
Be adept to negotiation and coalition building.
How is using separate agencies problematic?
Because a certain agency could make a decision without consulting with other agencies.
How do states handle their primary constitutional responsibility?
By using separate agencies for social services, aging, mental health, the environment, etc.
hat does OSHA do?
Focuses on occupational health and prevention of occupational injury.
What does the Indian Health Service do?
Operates hospitals and health clinics for Native Americans.
What does the Department of Homeland Security do?
Protect the public from acts of terrorism, natural disasters and other emergencies.
What does the Department of Defense do?
Provide medical care to the armed forces.
CONCLUSION
Review conclusion
What does the Department of Education do?
Supervises health education and school health and safety programs.
What does the Supreme Court say about restricting individual's freedom?
That it can be done 'for the common good'
What does the Institute of Medicine say about public health? What does this mean?
That the government alone cannot achieve the objectives of public health. This means that all sectors of the community must be active in efforts to prevent disease and prolong life. This is unique to public health, because it is dependent on its ability to obtain the participation of other agencies to solve its problems.
Who is the main assessment and epidemiological agency for the nation?
The CDC
Where do most traditional public health activities at the federal level (aside from environmental health) fall under?
Under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
