NACCHO Annual 2004 Conference Local Public Health Agencies and the Core Functions of Public Health:

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NACCHO Annual 2004 ConferenceLocal Public
Health Agencies and the Core Functions of Public
Health Collaboration to End Disparities, Tools
to Increase Capacity, and an Overview of
Capabilities

• Barbara Earley, RN, MSN
• Project Director
• Northeastern North Carolina Partnership for
  Public Health

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Northeastern North Carolina Partnership For
Public Health
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Overview

• Mission and Goals
• Funding
• Activities as they relate to Core Public Health
  Functions and Essential Public Health Services
• Successes and Pitfalls
• Future Plans

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Mission

• To provide, and procure state funding for,
  flexible regional partnerships for providing the
  local public health core functions and essential
  services that assure healthier communities. June
  2000

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Goals

• Strengthen epidemiological capacity
• Conduct health assessments that involve community
  input and participation
• Develop coordinated regional capacity to impact
  selected health indicators
• Institutionalize capacity to produce closure of
  disparity gap

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Goals

• Develop and implement a regional system for
  public health performance standards
• Coordinate regional retraining of the public
  health workforce
• Develop a regional coordinated system for
  mobilizing community health coalition
  infrastructure and partnerships

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Funding

• 2000-50,000 planning grant
• 2001-25,000 from state public health -
  5,000 in membership dues
• 2002-600,000 from HRSA x 3 years
• - 8,300 in membership dues
• 2003- 8,500 in membership dues
• 2004-415,652 x 4 years from the NC Health and
  Wellness Trust Fund
• - 9,000 in dues.
• Grants recently submitted or in progress
• CDC Steps to a Healthier US
• USHHS Stroke Prevention Initiative
• CDC Linkage to HIV Care Demonstration Project
• Legislative Funding

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Assessment Function

• Essential Service 1 Monitor health status to
  identify community health problems
• Staff produced regional health report.
• Epidemiologist responded to multiple special
  requests for data from health departments and
  community task force members.
• Partnership paid the state to conduct a regional
  BRFSS of 18 Northeastern NC counties.

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Assessment Function

• Essential Service 2 Diagnose and investigate
  health problems and health hazards in the
  community
• Governing Board selected three priority health
  issues
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Stroke and HIV/AIDS
• Intensive study of above conditions are currently
  being conducted.

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Policy Development Function

• Essential Service 3 Inform, educate, empower
  people about health issues
• Regional Community Health Report is being
  distributed throughout the region.
• NC General Assembly members are being educated
  about public health core functions.

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Policy Development Function

• Essential Service 4 Mobilize community
  partnerships to identify and solve health
  problems
• Sharing initial findings with pertinent leaders
  and community coalitions
• Will seek input for program development direction
  from community groups and minority populations.

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Policy Development Function

• Essential Service 5 Develop policies and plans
  that support individual and community health
  efforts
• Broad plans for action against diabetes, obesity
  and asthma developed
• Plans for action against hypertension developed
• Plans for action against HIV/AIDS being
  developed.

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Assurance Function

• Essential Service 6 Enforce laws and
  regulations that protect health and safety
• Bioterrorism and emerging health threats training
  and response
• Communicable disease law training

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Assurance Function

• Essential Service 7 Link people to needed
  personal health services and assure the provision
  of health care when otherwise unavailable
• Asset mapping and gap analysis
• Media campaign

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Assurance Function

• Essential Service 8 Assure a competent public
  health workforce and personal health workforce
• Introduction to Epidemiology and Using Epi Info
  Software
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Grant Writing and Working with Legislators
• Workforce Assessment and Training Plans
• Shared staffing

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Assurance Function

• Essential Service 9 Evaluate effectiveness,
  accessibility and quality of services and utilize
  assessment data to make positive changes
• Evaluations by East Carolina University and the
  University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill
• Assessment and cultural competence
  recommendations for each local health department

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Serving All Functions

• Essential Service 10 Research for new insights
  and innovative solutions to health problems
• Diabetes Prevention
• The Strokes Initiative
• Comprehensive Care for HIV/AIDS

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Successes and Pitfalls

• Tenacious and Visionary leaders
• Curtis Dickson
• Anne Thomas
• Jerry Parks
• Sue Gay
• UNC Institute for Public Health
• Consistent Governing Board and Project Director
• East Carolina Brody School of Medicine
• Successful Staff Recruitment
• Interested Legislators and Other Local Health
  Directors

• Most Work Done By a Few
• Very Little Practical Help from the State
  Department of Health and Human Services
• Turf Issues
• Funds for Staffing
• Public Health Prevention Specialist Recruitment

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Future Plans

• Choose additional health priorities
• Continue to seek legislative and other funding
• Expand project to provide additional regional
  staff and resources

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Review

• Mission and Goals
• Funding
• Activities as they relate to Core Public Health
  Functions and Essential Public Health Services
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Future Plans