By Kristen Mertz, MD, MPH, Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania
This story originally ran in NACCHO’s Stories from the Field.
Overuse and misuse of antibiotics contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant organisms, which are estimated to cause over 20,000 deaths each year in the United States. Bacteria that were once easy to treat are developing resistance to antibiotics, leading to more severe and more costly infections. Continue reading
By E. Oscar Alleyne, DrPH, MPH, Senior Advisor for Public Health Programs, NACCHO
The following is an excerpt from the winter issue of NACCHO Exchange.
Introduction
Historically, America’s public health and healthcare systems have worked in isolation from one another. But as our nation continues to face complex and cross-cutting threats to population health, it is more important than ever to identify and advance the connection between public health and healthcare. Recently, public health has witnessed several benefits from bridging the two sectors. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2010, marked the greatest revolution in U.S. health policy since the 1960s. The law established the first National Prevention Strategy,1 added new funding for prevention and public health programs, promoted the use of clinical preventive services and other measures, and provided the impetus for greater collaboration across the health system. In fact, since the release of the Institute of Medicine’s 2012 report, Primary Care and Public Health: Exploring Integration to Improve Population Health, there has been an uptick in initiatives that support the creation of linkages across public health and healthcare to address national health priorities. Continue reading
By Harumi Reis-Reilly, MS, LDN, CHES, IBCLC, Lead Program Analyst, NACCHO, and Katie Galloway, MBA, RD, LD, IBCLC, Dakota County WIC Program
Dakota County Public Health Department (DCPHD) in Minnesota, a 2017 NACCHO Model Practice awardee, built upon their comprehensive breastfeeding program and implemented a rapid referral system to expand access to critical lactation care to low-income families. Through the Reducing Breastfeeding Disparities through Peer and Professional Support grant, DCPHD increased participation by 68% in prenatal breastfeeding classes and more than doubled their rapid-response lactation visits. Continue reading
By Linda McGlone, MPH, STRYVE Coordinator, Monterey County Health Department, California
Looking at youth violence through a public health lens, the Monterey County Health Department contributed to violence reduction by offering their skills in data, strategic planning, and the public health approach.
In 2011, Salinas, California was a small city with a big city problem: gang violence. The violent crime rate for Salinas was 732.5 crimes per 100,000 residents – higher than Los Angeles’ rate of 522.4. For decades, gang-related shootings caused most of the city’s violent injuries. Monterey County had the highest rate of youth homicides in California in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Salinas is a city of 150,854 residents, 75% of whom are Hispanic or Latino. This is a young community, with a high percentage of families living below the federal poverty level, organizing to become a healthy and thriving community. The Monterey County Health Department (MCHD) recognized youth violence as a public health problem, and we saw that primary prevention was lacking from the community’s response. How could this perspective gain traction in a discussion led largely by law enforcement? Continue reading
By Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, NACCHO President and Executive Director of Harris County Public Health in Houston, Texas
The oral cavity, including the teeth and surrounding structures, are necessary for adequate nutrition, proper speech and a positive self-image. Although tooth decay is largely preventable, it continues to be the most common chronic disease of early childhood.1 Dental health can impact school performance when a child has untreated tooth decay with resulting pain that affects their ability to concentrate, sleep at night or even attend school, “more than 51 million school hours are lost each year to dental related illness.”2 Taxpayers share approximately 11% of the $113.5 billion spent nationally on dental care expenditures, a percentage that has increased over the years as dental care utilization continues to increase among children.3 Children with cavities in their primary (baby) teeth are three times more likely to develop cavities in their permanent (adult) teeth which could contribute to broader health problems including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.4 Continue reading
This story originally ran in NACCHO’s Preparedness Brief.
Flu season is upon us. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports increasing and widespread flu activity across the United States. According to CDC surveillance, influenza-like illness activity is higher than it was during the peak of the 2014-2015 flu season and so far hospitalization rates are similar to that same time period. Continue reading
By Tonia Smith, Tobacco Free Living Coordinator, Cincinnati Health Department
By engaging residents at each step in the process, Cincinnati Health Department’s (CHD’s) Creating Healthy Communities Coalition helped to implement a smoke-free multi-unit housing (SFMUH) policy for Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority’s (CMHA’s) 13,000 public housing residents. Continue reading
