Definition of Public Health and Epidemiology
The conducted web research has presented adequate definitions for public health and epidemiology. Public health is the science of improving and protecting the health needs of a community by promoting positive lifestyles, health environments, and implementing powerful programs to prevent diseases (Ku, Steinmetz, Brantley, & Bruen, 2017). On the other hand, epidemiology is a field in health practice that deals with the prevalence, distribution, incidence, and control of different factors associated with health. When the prevalence and incidence of disease are known, it becomes easier for different professionals to come up with adequate measures to control it.
Public Health Department: Miami Florida
My local community in Miami in the state of Florida. The community has a public health department that deals with the pertinent issues affecting the people. The vision of the department is to support the agenda of the state. The state of Florida has to focus on the best initiatives to make it the healthiest in the country. The mission of the community’s public health department is to protect, improve, promote, and support the health needs of every citizen (Florida Department of Health, 2017).
This is usually achieved through the use of integrated efforts. These objectives are supported by different core values such as innovation, accountability, excellence, collaboration, and responsiveness. The public health department’s purpose is to prevent various diseases that continue to affect the people of Miami-Dade County. The website goes further to outline strategic goals, initiatives, and priorities that can ensure the needs of more patients are met.
Two Milestones in Public Health
The study and analysis of the presented websites outline ten milestones that have remained critical in public health. The two outstanding milestones that remain important today include maternal and child health and environmental and occupational health (Magnuson & Fu, 2014). The first milestone was important because society was focusing on the best measures to minimize deaths during childbirth.
Presently, the milestone is taken seriously to ensure healthy children are born. The future of public health cannot be complete without identifying the best measures to ensure the milestone is pursued effectively. The second milestone focuses on environmental safety and occupational health. Initially, companies and communities were expected to implement powerful measures to promote the wellness of more people. This is also the same case today. The adoption of modern technologies and changes in communities and workplaces will ensure this milestone remains relevant in the future.
Additional Resources
I have come across additional resources that have made it easier for me to understand the scope of public health. The article “Ten Great Public Health Achievements” by the CDC outlines the major initiatives and practices that have been supported to support the welfare of more people. The implementation of powerful prevention measures can address the health challenges affecting many people.
The book “Public Health Informatics and Information Systems” presents powerful insights that empower professionals to use modern informatics in public health (Magnuson & Fu, 2014). These resources offer powerful insights and ideas that can be used to support the needs of more people, monitor diseases, and implement powerful health promotion campaigns (Ku et al., 2017). It is therefore appropriate for communities to use integrated initiatives and identify new solutions that can improve the health of every citizen.
References
Florida Department of Health. (2017).
Ku, L., Steinmetz, E., Brantley, E., & Bruen, B. (2017). The economic and employment consequences of repealing federal health reform: A 50 state analysis. Milken Institute School of Public Health, 1(1), 1-25.
Magnuson, J., & Fu, P. (2014). Public health informatics and information systems (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.