255704 Does and don'ts of public health agency formation: The politics and funding of agencies

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 9:10 AM - 9:30 AM

Gerald Barron, MPH , Center for Public Health Practice, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Ilene Prokup, MS, RN, PHCNS-BC , Lehigh Valley Board of Health, Allentown, PA
In the current poor economic times creating a new public health agency and sustaining existing agencies is becoming more and more difficult. The presentation will discuss the critical components necessary for a successful effort to form and sustain agencies as informed by the endeavor in the Lehigh Valley, to create the first joint county health department in Pennsylvania. The effect of the recession on these Counties will be part of the presentation and discussion. Also the consequences of the lack of the needed components will be emphasized. The two counties involved both have existing municipal health departments, but no county level agency. The involvement of the local hospital systems, community advocacy groups and elected officials will be discussed as well as the importance of timing. The experience of the several year journey to create the Lehigh Valley Health Department and sustain the municipal health departments will be used to illustrate the importance of these components and will provide a blueprint for an assessment of a county or municipality's ability to form and sustain a health department. Practical implications of this experience for the formation and sustaining of public health agencies in will be discussed.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Program planning
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the effect of the current economic times on agency funding. 2. List the key elements of public health agency formation and sustainability. 3. Explain the importance of public health workers and community advocates relationship with elected officials.

Keywords: Public Health Infrastructure, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator on numerous federal, state and local funded grants dealing with how to maximize the effectiveness of public health practice. I was the public health consultant to the Lehigh Valley Board of Health, which is given the responsibility for creating the first Joint-County Health Department in Pennsylvania. I have worked in public health practice for 40 years in both governmental and academic public health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.