10 Essential Public Health Services - Details

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Assessment of statewide health status and its determinants, including the identification of health threats and the determination of health service needs
  • Identification of health risks and determination of health service needs.
  • Attention to the vital statistics and health status of groups that are at higher risk than the total population.
  • Identification of community assets and resources that support the local public health system (LPHS) in promoting health and improving quality of life.

• Utilization of appropriate methods and technology, such as geographic information systems, to interpret and communicate data to diverse audiences.

• Collaboration among all LPHS components, including private providers and health benefit plans, to establish and use population health information systems, such as disease or immunization registries.

For the state assessment

• Assessment of a statewide health status and its threats and the determination of health service needs.

• Attention to the vital statistics and health status of specific groups that are at higher risk of heath threats than the general population.

• Identification of community assets and resources, which support the SPHS in promoting health and improving quality of life.

• Utilization of technology and other methods to interpret and communicate health information to diverse audiences in different sectors.

• Collaboration in integrating and managing public health related information systems.

For the governance assessment

• Accurate, periodic assessment of the community's health status, including:
  • Identification of health risks (determinants of health) and determination of health service needs;
  • Attention to the vital statistics and health status indicators of groups that are at higher risk than the total population; and
  • Identification of community assets that support the LPHS in promoting health and improving quality of life.

• Utilization of appropriate methods and technology, such as geographic information systems (GIS), to interpret and communicate data to diverse audiences.

• Collaboration among all LPHS components, including private providers and health benefit plans, to establish and use population health registries, such as disease or immunization registries.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks and patterns of infectious and chronic diseases and injuries, environmental hazards, and other health threats.

• Active infectious disease epidemiology programs.

• Access to a public health laboratory capable of conducting rapid screening and high volume testing.

For the state assessment

• Epidemiologic investigation of disease outbreaks and patterns of infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, and other adverse health conditions.

• Population-based screening, case finding, investigation, and the scientific analysis of health problems.

• Rapid screening, high volume testing, and active infectious disease epidemiology investigations.

For the governance assessment

• Epidemiologic investigations of disease outbreaks, patterns of infections, chronic diseases, injuries, environmental hazards, and other heath threats.

• Active infectious disease epidemiology programs.

• Access to a public health laboratory capable of conducting rapid screening and high volume testing.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Health information, health education, and health promotion activities designed to reduce health risk and promote better health.

• Health communication plans and activities such as media advocacy and social marketing.

• Accessible health information and educational resources.

• Health education and health promotion program partnerships with schools, faith communities, work sites, personal care providers, and others to implement and reinforce health promotion programs and messages.

For the state assessment

• Health information, health education, and health promotion activities designed to reduce health risk and promote better health.

• Health communication plans and activities such as media advocacy and social marketing.

• Accessible health information and educational resources.

• Health education and promotion program partnerships with schools, faith communities, work sites, personal care providers, and others to implement and reinforce health promotion programs and messages.

For the governance assessment

• Health information, health education, and health promotion activities designed to reduce health risk and promote better health.

• Health communication plans and activities such as media advocacy and social marketing.

• Accessible health information and educational resources.

• Health education and health promotion program partnerships with schools, faith communities, work sites, personal care providers, and others to implement and reinforce health promotion programs and messages.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Identifying potential stakeholders who contribute to or benefit from public health, and increase their awareness of the value of public health.

• Building coalitions to draw upon the full range of potential human and material resources to improve community health.

• Convening and facilitating partnerships among groups and associations (including those not typically considered to be health-related) in understanding defined health improvement projects, including preventive, screening, rehabilitation, and support programs.

For the state assessment

• The organization and leadership to convene, facilitate, and collaborate with statewide partners (including those not typically considered to be health-related) to identify public health priorities and create effective solutions to solve state and local health problems.

• The building of a statewide partnership to collaborate in the performance of public health functions and essential services in an effort to utilize the full range of available human and material resources to improve the state's health status.

• Assistance to partners and communities to organize and undertake actions to improve the health of the state's communities.

For the governance assessment

• Identifying potential stakeholders who contribute to or benefit from public health and increasing their awareness of the value of public health.

• Building coalitions to draw upon the full range of potential human and material resources to improve community health.

• Convening and facilitating partnerships among groups and associations (including those not typically considered to be health-related) in undertaking defined health improvement projects, including preventive, screening, rehabilitation, and support programs.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• An effective governmental presence at the local level.

• Development of policy to protect the health of the public and to guide the practice of public health.

• Systematic community-level and state-level planning for health improvement in all jurisdictions.

• Alignment of LPHS resources and strategies with the community health improvement plan.

For the state assessment

• Systematic health planning that relies on appropriate data, develops and tracks measurable health objectives, and establishes strategies and actions to guide community health improvement at the state and local levels.

• Development of legislation, codes, rules, regulations, ordinances and other policies to enable performance of the Essential Public Health Services, supporting individual, community, and state health efforts.

• The democratic process of dialogue and debate between groups affected by the proposed health plans and policies is needed prior to adoption of such plans and policies.

For the governance assessment

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  Effective local public health governance.

• Development of policy, codes, regulations, and legislation to protect the health of the public and to guide the practice of public health.

• Systemic LPHS and state-level planning for health improvement in all jurisdictions.

• Alignment of LPHS resources and strategies with community health improvement plans.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• The review, evaluation, and revision of laws and regulations designed to protect health and safety to assure that they reflect current scientific knowledge and best practices for achieving compliance.

• Education of persons and entities obligated to obey or to enforce laws and regulations designed to protect health and safety in order to encourage compliance.

• Enforcement activities in areas of public health concern, including, but not limited to the protection of drinking water; enforcement of clean air standards; regulation of care provided in health care facilities and programs; re-inspection of workplaces following safety violations; review of new drug, biologic, and medical device applications; enforcement of laws governing the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors; seat belt and child safety seat usage; and childhood immunizations.

For the state assessment

• The review, evaluation, and revision of laws and regulations designed to protect health and safety to assure that they reflect current scientific knowledge and best practices for achieving compliance.

• Education of persons and entities obligated to obey or to enforce laws and regulations designed to protect health and safety in order to encourage compliance.

• Enforcement activities in areas of public health concern, including, but not limited to the protection of drinking water; enforcement of clean air standards; regulation of care provided in health care facilities and programs; reinspection of workplaces following safety violations; review of new drug, biological, and medical device applications; enforcement of laws governing the sale of alcohol and tobacco to minors; seat belt and child safety seat usage; and childhood immunizations.

• Assurance of due process and recognition of individuals' civil rights in all procedures, enforcement of laws and regulations, and in public health emergency actions taken under the board of health or other governing body's authority.

• Review, evaluation and revision of laws and regulations designed to :
  • Protect health and safety;
  • Reflect current scientific knowledge; and
  • Utilize best practice for achieving compliance.

• Education of persons and entities obligated to obey and agencies obligated to enforce laws and regulations to encourage compliance.

• Enforcement activities in a wide variety of areas of public health concern under authority granted by local , state and federal rule or law including, but not limited to: abatement of nuisances, animal control, childhood immunizations and other vaccinations, food safety, housing code, local sanitary code, on site wastewater disposal (septic systems), protection of drinking water, school environment, solid waste disposal, swimming pool and bathing area safety and water quality, tobacco control, and vector control.

• Assuring prevention of illness by:
  • Following-up on hazards;
  • Reducing exposure to disease in occupational and community settings;
  • Increasing vaccination rates.

• Assuring monitoring of the quality of medical services available to the LPHS.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Identifying populations with barriers to personal health services.

• Identifying personal health service needs of populations with limited access to a coordinated system of clinical care.

• Assuring the linkage of people to appropriate personal health services through coordination of provider services and development of interventions that address barriers to care (e.g., culturally and linguistically appropriate staff and materials, transportation services).

For the state assessment

• Assessment of access to and availability of quality personal health care services for the state's population.

• Assurances that access is available to a coordinated system of quality care which includes outreach services to link population to preventive and curative care, medical services, case management, enabling social and mental health services, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and health care quality review programs.

• Partnership with public, private, and voluntary sectors to provide populations with a coordinated system of health care.

• Development of a continuous improvement process to assure the equitable distribution of resources for those in greatest need.

• Assuring the identification of populations with barriers to personal health services.

• Assuring identification of personal health service needs of populations with limited access to a coordinated system of clinical care.

• Assuring the linkage of people to appropriate personal health services through coordination of provider services and development of interventions that address barriers to care (e.g., culturally and linguistically appropriate staff and materials, transportation services).

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Assessment of workforce (including volunteers and other lay community health workers) to meet community needs for public and personal health services.

• Maintaining public health workforce standards, including efficient processes for licensure/credentialing of professional and incorporation of core public health competencies needed to provide the Essential Public Health Services into personnel systems.

• Adoption of continuous quality improvement and life-long learning programs for all members of the public health workforce, including opportunities for formal and informal public health leadership development.

For the state assessment

• Education, training, development, and assessment of health professional - including partners, volunteers and other lay community health workers - to meet statewide needs for public and personal health services.

• Efficient processes for credentialing technical and professional health personnel.

• Adoption of continuous quality improvement and life-long learning programs.

• Partnerships with professional workplace development programs to assure relevant learning experiences for all participants.

• Continuing education in management, cultural competence, and leadership development programs.

For the governance assessment

• Education, training, and assessment of personnel (including volunteers and other lay community health workers) to meet community needs for public and personal health services.

• Efficient processes for licensure of professionals.

• Adoption of continuous quality improvement and life-long learning programs that include determinants of health.

• Active partnerships with professional training programs to assure community-relevant learning experiences for all students.

• Continuing education in management and leadership development programs for those charged with administrative/executive roles.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• Assessing the accessibility and quality of services delivered and the effectiveness of personal and population-based programs provided.

• Providing information necessary for allocating resources and reshaping programs.

For the state assessment

• Evaluation and critical review of health program, based on analyses of health status and service utilization data, are conducted to determine program effectiveness and to provide information necessary for allocating resources and reshaping programs for improved efficiency, effectiveness, and quality.

• Assessment of and quality improvement in the State Public Health System's performance and capacity.

For the governance assessment

• Assurance of ongoing evaluation and critical review of health programs effectiveness based on analysis of health status and service utilization data.

• Assurance of the provision of information necessary for allocating resources and reshaping programs.

This service includes:

For the local assessment

• A continuum of innovative solutions to health problems ranging from practical field-based efforts to foster change in public health practice, to more academic efforts to encourage new directions in scientific research.

• Linkages with institutions of higher learning and research.

• Capacity to mount timely epidemiological and health policy analyses and conduct health systems research.

For the state assessment

• A full continuum of research ranging from field-based efforts to foster improvements in public health practice to formal scientific research.

• Linkage with research institutions and other institutions of higher learning.

• Internal capacity to mount timely epidemiologic and economic analyses and conduct needed health services research.

• Local public health research activities:
  • Initiating research,
  • Participating in research by others,
  • Reporting results, and
  • Implementing policy based on these results.
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