141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

283862
Twenty-first century health department consolidations in Ohio: Perspectives from participants

Monday, November 4, 2013 : 10:50 AM - 11:10 AM

John Hoornbeek, MPA, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management , Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Josh Filla, MPA , Center for Public Policy and Health, College of Public Health, Kent State University, Kent, OH
Since 2001, there have been seventeen consolidations of local health departments in the State of Ohio. In early 2013, staff from Kent State University's Center for Public Policy and Health conducted in-depth interviews with key officials who were involved in these consolidations. While most of these individuals were Health Commissioners with executive responsibility for health department management and services, others were public officials with other responsibilities relating to the consolidations. Those interviewed responded to questions regarding the motivations that gave rise to the consolidation and the resulting financial and public health service impacts.

This presentation will review the results of recent studies relevant to health department consolidation and overview data that were collected through interviews conducted in Ohio. In so doing, it addresses motivations and decision-making processes leading up to consolidation and financial and public health service impacts. Key results offer insights and evidence regarding the extent to which health department consolidations in Ohio yield expected impacts relating to financial benefits and costs, opportunities for strategic re-directions of public health services, and effects on public health services. The presentation will also provide an opportunity for those in attendance to assess and discuss the extent to which the findings presented for recent consolidations in Ohio apply to other states and locations.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the views of Health Commissioners and others regarding the motivations and impacts (financial and service) of the seventeen health department consolidations that took place in the Twenty-first century. Identify potential impacts of health department consolidations that may be undertaken in other states and locations. Discuss ways in which the Ohio experience with consolidating local health departments may apply to other states and locations.

Keywords: Public Health Research, Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as a principal investigator and/or co-principal investigator for multiple projects relating to the administration of public sector programs over the last 13 years. My research interests have focused on public health and environmental policy, as well as intergovernmental relations. I have also earned graduate degrees relating to public management and administration at the Masters (University of Wisconsin – Madison) and doctoral levels (University of Pittsburgh).
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.