Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Center for Local Public Health Services What is Public Health?

Essential Services cont.

• Assure a competent public and personal health care workforce
• Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population based health services
• Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems

Public Health System vs. the Health System (medicine)

Public Health System

• Primary focus on population
• Emphasis on disease prevention and health promotion that shape a community’s overall health profile

Health System

• Primary focus on individual
• Emphasis on diagnosis and treatment

Health System

Health System

• Hospital delivers the baby

Public Health System

• Regulates the hospital to ensure safety

Public health is credited with adding 25 years to the life expectancy of people in the United States in this century.

Public health is credited with adding 25 years to the life expectancy of people in the United States in this century.

Missouri’s Public Health System

Great Public Health Achievements

• Vaccinations
• Motor-vehicle safety
• Safer workplaces
• Safer and healthier foods
• Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke

United States – 1900-1999

Great Public Health Achievements cont.

• Healthier mothers and babies
• Fluoridation of drinking water
• Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard
• Control of infectious diseases

United States – 1900-1999

Public health’s disease control efforts have led to a sharp decline in deaths from infectious diseases since 1900.