Agenda - 03-09-1999 - III-B - Laserfiche WebLink

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67 �w r� r r w r• r r i r. �� r� r r •ter r� Z The application of population -based health services in this century has saved millions of lives and resulted in the virtual elimination of a number of infectious diseases in this country, e.g., cholera and yellow fever. Smallpox has been eradicated worldwide. Earlierin this century, it was increasingly recognizedthatpeople could transmit disease to one another. The role of state and local public health agencies greatly expanded, and mortality and morbidity rates from diptheria, polio, typhoid, and other contagious diseases were significantly lowered. Public health efforts directed at preventing present day health problems are expected to yield similarresults. The Institute of Medicine and the Centers forDisease Control have recently emphasized the importance of population -based efforts to the health of the nation, i.e., services which target the health status of the entire population, as opposed to personal health care services administered after a person becomes ill. Population -based services focus on the identification of health threats, community health protection, screening and prevention services, health promotion programs and services that improve access to care; * Surveillanceofthehealthstatusofthecommunitytoidentifyunusualpattemsofillness and death, and to investigate their causes. *Monitoring drinking water, food sanitation and waste disposal in order to protect the health of the entire community. *Providing immunization or screening to high risk individuals to protect them as well as their families and communities from communicable disease. *Offering education andiuformationonhealthybehaviors andhealthylivinginorderto promote better health for all *Improving access to health care through information, referral, outreach and case management, as well as community planning and program development. Efforts to promote personal health, protect community health and prevent disease are known to be effective. However, an inadequate amount of current health system dollars is spent on these services. Increased emphasis on population-based services will help contain avoidable costs and decrease premature loss oflife. Six percent of national health care expenditures should be set aside to fund public health services. Population-based services are a major contributor to overall improvement of health status. Prevention, promotion and protection strategies need to be thought of as an integral part of the larger health cake system. •