 |
Public and Community Health
(HTH 240 3.0 Cr)
Health Services
Course Description
Today's public health professionals have an unprecedented number of scientific
studies, strategies, tools and technologies at their disposal. Public
awareness of the field's contributions is higher than ever before. However,
contemporary public health organizations face the daunting task of addressing
enduring public health problems, crises like AIDS, and emerging issues
-- all at the same time. Funding for public health programs is frequently
under attack and practitioners must allocate shrinking budgets across
a growing number of complex and competing priorities. Furthermore, public
health functions are performed by a fragmented and sometimes inefficient
web of agencies, advocacy groups, and care providers at the federal, state,
and local levels.
Using this shifting landscape as a backdrop, this course introduces students
to the fundamentals of public health practice. It will prepare students
to perform key public health functions in federal, state, and community
organizations; evaluate the legal, ethical, and historical bases for public
health; and critique and construct strategies for responding to public
health problems.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Create an argument for or against a given public health program
based on their understanding of the mission, core functions, legal requirements,
and ethics of public health practice
• Analyze the causes and social costs of a public health problem
based on contemporary theories and beliefs about the determinants of health
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of public health organizations
at the federal, state, and local levels
• Develop a strategy for conducting a public health assessment for
a local community, including appropriate tools and data sources
• Recommend an appropriate leadership style for a given public health
initiative
• Predict the outcome of a public health intervention or service
based on current theory and practice
• Create a profile of a future public health department based on
current patterns and trends
Breadth of Assignments
This course uses a variety of assignment types in exploring the topics
of Public and Community Health including reading assignments, both online
and textbook based, group discussions, case study assignments using an
online simulated community, individual writing and research assignments,
self-tests, and a course-long project with peer review.
Required Resources
Scutchfield, F., and Keck, W. (2002). Principles of Public Health Practice,
2nd Ed. Albany, New York: Delmar Publishers. ISBN 0-7668-2843-3
Introduction to Public and Community Health
Health Services
Module/Topics
Module 1: The Foundations of Public Health Practice
• Creating an argument for or against a given public health program
based on your understanding of the mission, core functions, and ethics
of public health practice
• The rights, restrictions, and practices of a public health department
in light of public health history and law
• The causes and social costs of a disease or condition based on
contemporary theories and beliefs about the determinants of health (including
physical, biological, behavioral, social, cultural, and spiritual factors)
Module 2: Public Health Organizations
• The roles and responsibilities of public health organizations
at the federal, state, and local levels
• Creating an annotated list of links to web sites that are useful
for public health practitioners
• Analyzing the areas of interdependency and fragmentation in the
delivery of public health services
Module 3: Public Health Tools and Techniques
• The United States' progress toward national public health objectives
using information in Healthy People 2010
• Developing a strategy for conducting a public health assessment
for a local community, including appropriate tools and data sources
• Recommending an appropriate leadership style for a given public
health initiative
Module 4: Strategies for Public Health Interventions and Services
• Predicting the outcome of a public health intervention or service
based on current theory and practice
Module 5: The Future of Public Health
• Creating a profile of a future public health department based
on current patterns and trends
|
