The Public Health System
National Perspective
“Health is a primary public good because many aspects of human potential such as employment, social relationships, and political participation are contingent on it. In view of the value of health to employers, business, communities, and society in general, creating the conditions for people to be healthy should also be a shared social goal. The special role of government must be allied with the contributions of other sectors of society.”
– The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century, 2002 Report from the Institute of Medicine
Public health professionals define the business of public health as advancing the health of the population by:
- Assessing the health, and risks to health, of the population.
- Advocating for policy development that advances and promotes health.
- Assuring that services that improve health, or reduce risks to health, are carried out.
These are described as the core functions of public health.
Delivery of these core functions of public health is most often realized when the local public health system is able to fully provide to the public these 10 Essential Public Health Services.
The 10 Essential Public Health Services:
1. Monitor health status to identify community problems.
2. Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
3. Inform, educate and empower people about health issues.
4. Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems.
5. Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.
6. Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
7. Link people to health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.
8. Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce.
9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services.
10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has produced a brochure on the
Operational Definition of a Functional Health Department
The Operational Definition of a functional local health department defines what people in any community can reasonably expect from their local health department. There is no one way to meet these standards; health departments across the country are working to improve performance and meet the standards in a variety of ways.
2007 Program Performance
For complete report, click here
Care Management for Seniors (Project LIVELY)
Number of elderly served: 140
Number of elderly visits: 1,656
Number of elderly prevented from nursing home placement: 48
Average annual nursing home cost per person: $45,000 (estimated cost savings = $2,160,000)
Case Management for Pregnant Women and Teens (Maternal and Child Health)
Health Douglas Federal
Dept. (1) Co. (2) Kansas (2) Goal (2,3)
Teen pregnancy rate ( # /1,000 10-19 year olds ): 18.3 26.7
Premature births 8.9% 8.7% 9.5% 7.6%
Low birth weight 5.4 % 6.4% 7.2% 5.0%
Ability of teen mothers to delay a subsequent pregnancy while still a teen:
- 7.6% of SFY 2006 program participants had a repeat pregnancy during their enrollment.
- Nearly 25% of teen mothers nationally have a second birth while still a teen.
1 – A high risk population.
2 – General population
3 – U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Healthy People 2010
Child Care Licensing
Number of child care facilities: 292
System capacity for child care: 5,849
Child care facility inspections: 488
Number of complaints received: 53
Clinic Services
Goal Measure
% of clients tested for HIV who return for post-test counseling 70% 74%
% of 2-year-old clients completing the primary immunization series 90% 84%
% of family planning clients age 15-24 testing positive for Chlamydia 3.0% 2.6%
% of clients with abnormal pap smears notified and referred for follow-up 100% 100% (n=228)
% of communicable disease case investigations initiated within 24 hours of report 100% 99% (n=698)
Environmental Health
Activity Inspection Counts Percent or Frequency
Sanitary Code 1,219 N/A
Pool and Spa 464 average of 1.5 inspections/month
Complaint 175 100%
Cereal Malt Beverage 101 100%
Other 96 N/A
School 45 100%
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Percent of staff who have had some formal Incident Command System (ICS) training: 100%
Number of times ICS was utilized in response to a disease outbreak: 1 (mumps outbreak)
Total number of Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers, (number of 2006 recruits): 41 (29)
Planning documents written or revised in 2006:
1) Volunteer Management Plan,
2) Biological Incident Annex to the Douglas County Emergency Response Plan.
WIC Nutritional Supplement Program
Caseload 1,607
Lawrence Douglas County Kansas
Total dollar amount of food assistance spent $701,769 $752,045 N/A
Low birth weight rate (1) 7% (2) 6% (2)
Childhood anemia rate (1) 11% 7%
Obesity rate for children 2-5 years of age (1) 7% 8%
1- WIC client data for August 2007.
2 - General population rate for Douglas County-6.4%, Kansas-7.2%. 
