Intro to U.S. Healthcare

C.E.A Winslow

“Science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized community efforts”

Institute of Medicine

“What we, as a society, do collectivey to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy”

Public Health Focus

• Populations

  • Who?

• Prevention

  • Goal

• Healthy Conditions

  • How?

Who works in Public Health?

• Epidemiologist

• Biostatistician

• Health educators

• Environmental health professionals

• Public health nurses

• Emergency preparedness staff

What is health?

• Physical well-being

• Mental well-being

• Social well-being

• Ability to function

Health Care Focus

• Individual patients

• Diagnosis

• Treatment

• Recovery

• Ongoing care

Who is in the Health Care System?

• Patients and families

• Health professionals

• Hospitals and clinics

• Insurers and payers

• Government

• Community partners

Working Together: Measles Outbreak

• Public health

  • Track outbreaks

  • Promote vaccination

  • Identify exposed individuals

• Health care

  • Diagnose measles

  • Manage symptoms

  • Prevent complications

Why study both systems?

Health outcomes are shaped by:

• People

• Communities

• Services

• Organizations

• Policies

• Resources

Population focus

communities and groups, including people who are not currently sick

PHLT: Typical work

surveillance, vaccination, sanitation, food safety, education, and policy

PHLT: Central aim

create conditions in which people can be healthy and prevent future cases

Health care: Typical work

• diagnosis, treatment, recovery, rehabilitatation, and ongoing clinical care