1 a regional public health system in nh what do we have now? why regionalize? how do we make a case...
Post on 01-Apr-2015
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A Regional Public Health System in NH
What Do We Have Now?
Why Regionalize?
How Do We Make a Case for Regional
Public Health in a State Like NH?
What Would Change?
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What Does Public Health Look Like in NH Today?
•At the State level, DHHS is the lead public health agency. The Department of Environmental Services, Department of
Education, and Department of Safety also play key roles
• In almost all New Hampshire communities, non-governmental organizations provide a significant sub-set of public health services
• Each of New Hampshire’s 234 cities and towns are required by law to have a health officer
• Only five New Hampshire communities maintain public health departments of various size ; no county health departments
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2004 New Hampshire Public Health Network
“Assuring the health and safety of all NH residents”
o 14 Coalitions
o 118 Towns
o 50% of NH towns
o 70% of the NH population covered
o 5-11 communities per coalition
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All Health Hazard Regions
Organized to plan for and respond to public health emergencies
19 Regions
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And more maps for other services
Community health centers Tobacco coalitions WIC services HIV prevention Etc, etc, etc.
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Why Regionalization?
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Potential Benefits of Regionalization
Study in the AJPH, March 2006 examined performance of public health agencies, size and resources
It noted that small public health agencies may benefit by combining resources and operations
But gains may diminish with size – too big is not good (but NH is small in both geography and population)
Mays, G, McHugh, M et al. AJPH, March 2006 Vol. 96, No. 3
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Regionalization Goal
Overall Goal – A performance-based public health delivery system, which provides all 10 essential public health services throughout New Hampshire
Provide high quality public health based on national standards
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Why do we need regional public health in one of the healthiest states?
What is killing us and making us sick today are chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, injuries)
Many of the contributing factors to these are preventable –
tobacco, diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption
Well-run community based public health programs can prevent these problems
Money can be saved
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What is Public Health ?
The study and practice of managing threats to the health of a community or population
The public health approach is applied to populations ranging from a handful of people to the whole human population
Priorities are to prevent (rather than treat) a disease or injury through the study of cases; promoting healthy behaviors; preventing the spread of disease; and addressing policy issues.
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Individual vs. Populations
How does public health differ
from health care?
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Example- Smoking
Health care response
Treat an individual for smoking related health problems – asthma, pneumonia, heart disease, cancer, etc.
Counsel to quit smoking Provide nicotine
replacement therapy
Public Health Response Study the effects of tobacco
– Surgeon General’s report Labeling of cigarettes Public information
campaigns Promote policies such as
non-smoking workplaces Enforcement of laws such as
limiting tobacco sales to minors
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Public Health Goes to You
Unlike personal health care services, in many cases the public does not have to travel to receive public health services Public health staff go out to do investigations Public health staff analyze diseases by populations Public health education campaigns are delivered where
people go or access information (radio,TV, billboards, schools, workplaces, etc.)
So public health regions do not need to align exactly with hospitals or doctors offices service areas
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Public Health Saves Money
$10 per person per year in proven community-based disease prevention (improvements in physical activity, nutrition and preventing smoking) could yield saving of $2.8 billion in health care costs in 2 years
That’s $2 in return for every $1 invested in the first 1-2 years
Prevention for a Healthier America:Investments in Disease Prevention Yield Significant Savings, Stronger Communities. Trust for America’s Health July 2008 www.healthyamericans.org
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Obesity for example
23.6 % population is obese, 61.8% are overweight or obese – significant increase from 2005-2007
NH ranks 35th in the nation, despite having the lowest poverty rate
Worst in New England ¹ For the first time in 2 centuries our children’s life
expectancy is potentially less than ours (2-5 years) due to obesity and related factors (diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, cancer)
F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2008, Trust for America’s Health, August 2008 www.healthyamericans.org
NEJM March 2005
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Example - Obesity
Health Care Response
Treatment for conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol
Nutritional counseling Bariatric surgery
Public Health Response
Working with schools to provide healthy lunch menus
Working with community coalitions to develop walkable communities
Assist in developing policies for physical activities in schools
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The 10 Essential Public Health Services
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The Proposed Approach The DPHS and Regionalization Initiative workgroup envision one lead public
health agency per region. It must be linked a governmental entity that is responsible to coordinate or directly provide the 10 essential services. The lead agency may subcontract or create memoranda of understanding for some essential services
Regions based on existing ones (many are quite similar) and take into account geographic features, existing public health services and population size
Two levels of public health (primary and comprehensive) that acknowledge existing resources and capacity to carry out public health services. Comprehensive = Manchester and Nashua
Primary = everywhere else
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Approach
Will be based on national standards for what a public health agency should look like and how it should perform
Will be an evolutionary process – some may not meet all components of a primary agency from the beginning but will move there in time.
Will require changes to state law.
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The Role of Government in Public Health
Assessment – Takes into account all relevant factors to the extent possible, based on objective factors, without self-interest
Policy Development – Takes place as a result of interactions among public and private organizations
Assurance – Assures that necessary services are provided to reach agreed upon goals by encouraging the private sector, requiring it, or providing services directly
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A Primary Regional Public Health Agency
Staff, funding, and legal recognition to assure a fundamental public health presence
Performs some level of the 10 essential services Collaborates extensively with system partners in the region
to coordinate more comprehensive services The NH DPHS continues to provide some core services (i.e..
lab, disease investigations) to these regions Coordinates with local health officers or move towards
shared health officer among municipalities
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Proposed Staffing
Every region would have: Administrator Health educator/marketing
staff Nurse (?) Environmental health
specialist Support staff
Shared across regions:EpidemiologistEmergency preparedness coordinatorMedical consultant
(Shared or in-kind)Financial managerIT support
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How is this Different than the Public Health Networks?
Proposal that there be a legally-recognized regional public health council which…
Designates a lead public health entity that… Is responsible to the council and regional public
health system partners for… Implementing a coordinated approach to provide
public health services to the public
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Next Steps-What Do We Have?
Assessments to Help Us Determine, Resources, Costs, Needs and
ApproachJune 2008- February 2010
Financial analysis of all state/local/private public health funding with consideration of efficiencies from regionalization – Patrick Bernet, FAU
Assessment of local/regional public health system capacity to deliver the 10 essential services- with a gaps analysis – Lea Lafave, CHI
Assessment of what the link to government could look like - Jennifer Wierwille Norton
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Financial Assessment
To gain an understanding of current public health expenditures in each region and for the state as a whole
Will capture state, municipal and private-sector funding
To try to understand the potential financial implications of regionalizing select public health services
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Capacity Assessment Purpose
To identify assess and gaps in the region and these that may lend themselves to regionalization.
Process: Framework of the National Association of City
and County Health Officials Essential Service
Standard Indicator
Revised ToolLead organization : Regional Partners : State
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What is the Governance Assessment?
Focuses on figuring out who’s responsible or held accountable; not doing the work but overseeing it;
Who’s overseeing performance of the public health entities who are partners.
Who’s assessing the degree to which the partners in the region have the necessary authority, resources and policies to provide essential public health services.
Assures that the infrastructure exists to protect and promote health in the community.
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Governance Assessmentin Two Parts
Part I: Examining Readiness to Serve in a Governance Function:
The first part of the assessment provides a tool to measure the region’s readiness to serve as governing body or Public Health Council to oversee the delivery of services and programs.
Part II: Examining Types of Lead Public Health Entities Participants will use part II of the tool to hold a facilitated
discussion about the different options available for the region’s Public Health Council to choose as a lead public health entity (type of entity).
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What Will Change?
Statewide, regional and more formalized recognized system, in law that provides a more even level of each essential service
Coordinates the current fragmented system that delivers very different levels of service
More efficient use/better coordination of existing resources
Based on national standards -PHAB
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What Won’t Change?
Municipalities retain legal authority for enforcing state laws and local ordinances
DPHS provides some core services such as lab and disease control
Local agencies will still receive funds directly from DPHS but will need to be part of the regional system
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And the benefits will be…
Higher quality services at the best possible cost
Ability to measure ourselves against national standards
Better positioning for increasingly competitive federal funds
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Questions?Joan Ascheim
NH Dept of HHS, Division of Public Health Services jascheim@dhhs.state.nh.us
1-800-852-3345 ext. 4110
Lea Lafave
Community Health Institute/JSI603.573.3335lea_ayers-lafave@jsi.com
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