Discussion Board Assignment
Public Health and the Role of Government in Health Care
Answer the following questions on Public Health Services:
1. The Public Health Service originated in 1798 as the Marine Hospital Service. Identify two (2) motivating factors that prompted that development.
2. Why, in the 1960s, were the health-related programs of Medicare, Medicaid, and Neighborhood Health Centers assigned to non-health federal agencies instead of the Public Health Service? Please provide two (2) examples.
3. Public health efforts and those of private medicine complement each other and together serve the spectrum of health service needs of American society. Why, then, has their relationship been sometimes contentious and have they not consistently worked together proactively to improve the health status of Americans? Please provide two (2) examples.
4. Contrast the population-based orientation of public health with the individual-centered focus of private health practitioners. Provide two examples.
5. Deaths in the United States that result from preventable causes total approximately 40% of all deaths each year. Deaths result from tobacco use, poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles. What additional two (2) actions should/could the U.S. health care system use to combat the factors that contribute to preventable deaths or incentivize more healthy living lifestyles among the most at-risk populations?