Organization of Public Health Services

TH Tulchinsky MD MPHBraun School of Public HealthHadassah-Hebrew University

18 October 2010

What is an Organization?• Bureaucratic Structure

– Max Weber – sociology of bureaucratic organizations – Military, civil, service, business

• Network organization– Business management by objectives– Task and goal oriented– Individual and team responsibility– People produce or serve better if they feel part of

“management” and goals of the organization• Read: NPH Chapter 12

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Bureaucratic and Network Organizations• Bureaucratic Interactive team, equal• Hierarchical Task oriented • Process oriented

CEO

Middle Management

Service or Production Workers

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Who Provides Public Health Services??

• Government – local, state, national• Other government departments, agencies• Health system providers – doctors, hospitals • Voluntary organizations and donors• Religious organizations e.g. Catholic hospitals • Fraternal organizations e.g. Rotary Club• Advocacy groups e.g. Groups against smoking• NGOs e.g. March of Dimes• Research centers e.g. • Private sector

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Structure of Government• US Federal system - Executive, legislative, judicial

branches – ”checks and balances”• Parliamentary system, legislative-executive branches

unified e.g. UK, Canada etc• Command economies – “president-for-life”• Federal-state powers defined in constitution

– Defense and foreign affairs– General welfare “for the common good”– Powers to tax, spend, legislate, regulate, punish

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Federal vs. Unitary Type Government

• Unitary – National e.g.. – County, municipal/city, – United Kingdom, – France, Spanish countries – Napoleonic code

• Federal e.g. US, Canada, Russia (?), Nigeria– Federal– State– Local

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Federal Governments

• Three levels of elected government, federal, state, local (municipal, county etc)

• Each has taxing and enforcement powers• Division of powers in constitution and legal precedent• USA, Canada, Australia, Russia (?), Nigeria, Argentina

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Unitary Governments

• Two levels• National and local• May have regional delegation of national powers• United Kingdom, France, Spain, • Process of change toward federal systems in some

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A Unitary State• Form of gov’t with a central national and local elected

levels of government; no intermediary legislating level. • UK and governments based on the French Napoleonic

Code, Spanish-speaking countries. • Central government overall responsibility for health • Local government is major factor in sanitation,

business licensing, food control etc • Regional and local authorities powers derived from the

national structure - decentralization• Health services may be nationally or locally managed

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Advantages to a Federal Structure• Examples – Canada, US, Germany, Argentina, Nigeria • Division of responsibilities for health • Federal gov’t - policy, financing and regulatory roles• State level closer to the community and represents

regional issues • Local health government is closest to the community

• Combination of local gov’t, can promote community health interests within state and federal guidelines, funding and accountability.

• Promotes inequality between regions of the country 04/19/23 10

Advantages of Unitary Government

• Example – UK, most EU countries• Napoleonic system• More centralized decision making• Taxation sources clearer• Increasing tendency to greater regional autonomy• Devolution• Increasing regionalization, regional autonomy

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Government Sources of Funds

• Income tax• Resource taxes• Excise taxes• Value added tax• “Sin tax” – alcohol, tobacco products• Inheritance taxes• Dedicated tax e.g. gasoline tax for roads• Property tax – local • Business and licensing taxes• Social security

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Inter-Governmental Transfer of Funds

• Tax sharing e.g. resource taxes• Tax transfer e.g. share of income taxes• Cost-sharing e.g. health insurance (Canada, US)• Categorical grants-in-aid

– Per capita grants e.g. health and welfare– Block grants e.g. public health – Targeted grant programs e.g.Hill-Burton Act

• Transfer of responsibility– Veteran’s care in Canada– Federal initiatives and administration, Medicare in US

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US Dep’t Health and Human Services

DHHS

Surgeon General NIH

FDANCHS

EPA

CDC HCFAFDA

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Federal System: Federal, State and Local Authorities

Federal $

State

$Province

$Oblast

$

Municipality$

County$

Rayon$

City$

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Public Health Responsibilities or Mission

1. Prevent epidemics and spread of disease2. Protect against environmental hazards3. Prevent injuries4. Promote and encourage healthy behaviors5. Respond to disasters and assist communities in

recovery6. Assure quality and accessibility of health services

Source: American Public Health Association, 2000 www.apha.org

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Federal - United States• Constitution 1776

• Executive, legislative and judicial branches

• National defense and international relations

• Interstate commerce, economic regulation

• Food and Drug Act (1906)

• Social Security Act (1935)

• Limited health responsibilities at federal level

• Incremental steps of intervention

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Federal PH Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for health of population• Varies – federal vs. unitary state• National policy and planning• Financing• Assure regional equity• Special services (labs, technical services) • Research• Bureau (Child Health, CDC, FDA, etc)• Native peoples, armed forces

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US “Hill-Burton Act”

• Federal-state-local partnership in 1950s-1960s• Set national standards and financing to local hospitals• Raised standards of medical care in underserved areas• Renovated obsolescent facilities • Promoted desegregation (southern US)• Limited hospital beds to 4-4.5 acute care beds/1,000• Favored middle-class communities (local $ contributions)• Channeled federal monies to poor communities• Required hospitals to provide free or reduced cost care to

the poor and emergency treatment to uninsured  • Act later expanded to promote primary care facilities

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National Institutes of Health

• Nat Cancer Institute (NCI)National Eye Institute (NEI)

• Nat Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

• Nat Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

• Nat Institute on Aging • Nat Institute of Alcohol Abuse and

Alcoholism• Nat Institute Allergy and

Infectious Diseases• Nat Inst Arthritis, Musculoskeletal

and Skin Diseases • Nat Institute of Child Health,

Human Development

• Nat Institute of Deafness, Communication Disorders Nat Institute of Dental Research (NIDR)

• Nat Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, Kidney Diseases

• Nat Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) • Nat Institute of Environmental

Health Sciences• Nat Institute of General Medical

Sciences• Nat Institute of Mental Health • Nat Institute of Neurological

Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

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Essential Public Health Services

1. Monitor health status to identify community health problems2. Diagnose, investigate health problems and hazards in community3. Inform, educate and empower people about health issues4. Mobilize community partnerships, action to solve health problems5. Policies, plans that support individual, community health efforts6. Enforce laws, regulations that protect health and ensure safety7. Link people to needed personal health services and assure

provision of health care when otherwise unavailable8. Assure an expert public health work force9. Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of health services10. Research for new insights and innovative solutions to problems.  

Source: MMWR, 1997;46:150-152; www.apha.org and www.hhs.gov/

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Responsibilities of Local Government:Local Health Authority

• Ancient city states responsible for quarantine, sanitation, medical care of the poor

• Elizabethan Poor Law 1601- responsible for welfare• Limited tax base – property taxes • Financial grants/tax transfers from higher gov’t• Sanitation – water, sewage, garbage, streets, labs• Business licensing and regulation • Licensing and supervision of food and services• Zoning, urban planning, housing, building codes• Recreation• Welfare • Emergency services

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APHA Basic Six Local Health Authority (LHA) PH Services, 1940

1. Vital statistics (births, deaths, marriage, divorce) 2. Control of communicable diseases (VPDs, TB, STDs)3. Environmental sanitation (water, sewage, business

licensing, food control, garbage, workplace hygiene)

4. Laboratory services5. Maternal, child and school health6. Health education

“Haven Emerson Six”04/19/23 23

Local Health Authorities

1. Sanitation – water, sewage, garbage 2. Business licensing - food, services3. Zoning, building code, recreation4. Vital records – births, deaths, marriage, divorce5. Welfare services and assistance6. Direct health services

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APHA Additions, 1950

1. Chronic disease control 2. Housing and urban planning3. Accident prevention4. Coordination with other agencies5. Surveillance of health status6. Education of public and professionals7. Supervision and regulatory activities8. Personal health services9. Planning of health needs10. Special services (TB, STDs, cancer, child

development, dental care)

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State (Province, Oblast) PH Responsibilities• Coordinate with other departments• Develop fund and supervise standards of LHAs• Legislate, regulate “the health and welfare” • Planning and priorities• Vital statistics• Direct services to LHAs (laboratories)• Direct services (Dx and Rx) e.g. STDs, TB• License and supervise health professions, institutions• Control communicable diseases• Relationships with social and welfare services• Finance health and welfare services e.g. NGOs, • Finance medical care

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US Federal Initiatives to 1950

• Marine Hospital Service 1792• Dep’t Agriculture Extension Services 19thC• Child health bureau 1906• Food and Drug Act 1906• Sheppard-Towner Act 1921• Social Security Act 1935• Food fortification 1941• Emergency Medical Insurance Coverage (EMIC)

1943 for millions of servicemen and families

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US Federal Initiatives 1946-2000

• Failure of National health insurance 1946 (1996)• Hill Burton Act 1946• National Institutes of Health, 1946• Centers for disease control and prevention, 1946• Medicare (elderly), Medicaid (poor), 1965• Voluntary health insurance via unions• Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) 1970s• Health Maintenance Organizations, 1970s• Health insurance voluntary, federal, state, none• Failure of NHI in 199504/19/23 28

Reform Issues

• Universal coverage• Health rights • Central vs. decentralized management • Devolution to specialized agencies• Inequities• Comprehensiveness• Cost sharing• Financing• Balance of services• Targets

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Health System Reform Issues

Occurring in many countries Prepayment - taxes or at work Supply of services - hospital beds/1,000, medical

manpower and distribution Methods of payment - shift to prospective payment

systems from norms, fee for service, block payments

Linkages between service sectors i.e. integration Epidemiologic monitoring Economic evaluation

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Hospital

Clinic

Health promotion

PH Nursing

Home Care

Long Term Care

Vertical Integration: Funding and Services

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Patient Centered Home

A Comprehensive Health Services Continuum

Healthy Public PolicyPreventionPromotionProtection

CommunityOrientedServices

SupportServices

ToSeniors

Home Care

CommunityHealth Centres

ExtendedTreatment &

Long Term Care

OutpatientAmbulatory

Care

RuralCommunity

UrbanCommunity Tertiary

Rehabilitation

Palliation

Hospitals

Promotion PalliationPalliation

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American Public Health Association

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Fielding et al. Public Health Rev. 2010:32:

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American Public Health Association

Conclusion

• Gov’t, and NGOs are essential for public health• Different levels of gov’tal responsibilities• All gov’ts levels play important roles

– Direct - provide a service, finance, plan, monitor– Indirect - legislation, regulation– Policy, legislation, funding, regulation, health

promotion• Koop – US Surgeon general - ”People need medical

care some of the time; everyone needs public health all of the time”

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Readings

• NPH Chapter 10• Fielding et al. Public Health Reviews.

2010;32:• Shortell et al. Public Health Reviews.

2010;32:• Available at www.publichealthreviews.eu•

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