Public Health DepartmentPublic Health Department

The History and Development

of a national safety net for disease control.

Public Health Service• Mission: Protecting and advancing the health of

Americans and contributing to the delivery of health care world-wide.

• Composed of departments and agencies which:– Control and prevent disease

– Conduct and fund biomedical research

– Protect the public from unsafe food, drugs and medical devices.

– Improve mental health

– Deal with drug and alcohol abuse

– Provide health care to underserved people and to those with special needs.

Agencies of Public Health Service

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry• National Institutes of Health (NIH)• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration• Health Resources and Services Administration• Agency for Health Care Policy and Research• Indian Health Services

Public Health Service forms

• 1798 – 1902: Marine Hospital Service

• 1902 – 1912: Public Health and Marine Hospital Service

• 1912 – present: Public Health Service

Marine Hospital Service1798-1902

• Developed to care for sailors who were often sick and far from home.

• America depended on the sea for trade and security.

• Marine hospitals established in port cities.

Organization of Marine Hospital Service

• Initially unorganized.• Physicians, supplies, hospitals, paid for by taxing

American sailors 20 cents a month.• Hospitals had little money, varied in quality, need

for medical attention exceeded available supply.• 1870 – reorganized by Congress, in order to create

a professional, mobile health corps able to deal with the health needs of the growing nation.

Growing responsibilities

• Epidemics raged through America in the 1800’s: small pox, yellow fever, cholera, bubonic plague.

• Laws passed by Congress to stop the spread of disease.

• New Function of MHS:– Every incoming ship was inspected and quarantined.

– Prevent spread of disease from state to state.

– Medical inspection of immigrants

– Investigations of epidemics.

Inspecting Immigrants at Ellis Island

Ratters in New Orleans: trapping and inspecting rats for Bubonic Plague

in 1912

Media campaigns to educate the public

Medical Research

Consolidation in 1944

• Public Health Service was redefined and its duties consolidated in 1944 with the Public Health Services Act.

• Since then, it has been an agency of the Federal Government that receives major funding in order to provide health care for the public, protect us from disease, and to conduct significant health research.

Significant Activities

• Vaccination programs• Sanitation monitoring• Rural health care• Epidemic monitoring

and control• Eradication of disease

when possible:– Polio, smallpox

Activities continue

• Testing and approval of foods and new drugs to be released to the public.

• Prior to FDA activities, many “miracle cures” were sold across the country with no regulation.

Sanitation Issues

• Water Safety and monitoring procedures were established to stop cholera and typhoid.

• Sewage systems established in cities.

• Filtration systems monitored.

HaitiHaiti

Who is Helping Haiti?

• The people of Haiti are in tremendous need for the basics – and rainy season has started.

• Your Task: Find out Who is helping Haiti?– What organizations are providing the most

significant sources of ongoing Aid?– Housing – what is happening?– Sanitation – what is happening?– Food and Water – what is happening?

Details

• You have the weekend and Monday here at school. Have your report ready for Thursday’s class.

• Type up your summary… keep it below two pages.