Pillars of Governmental Environmental Public Health | A Guide to Scalable Environmental Public Health Programs
Build a competent and diverse EPH workforce.
work involves developing and implementing a health department strategic plan, including establishing the department’s mission, vision, objectives, and strengths and weaknesses, as well as a community health improve- ment plan. These plans should include input from com- munity partners, should identify and address causes of health inequity (ASTHO, 2018), and should demonstrate progress toward goal achievement. Jurisdictions should develop an emergency response plan that must be tested regularly via drills or exercises. Jurisdictions should also incorporate the principle of Health in All Policies, which calls for public health and EPH to be considered in all the jurisdiction’s policies, not just those policies implemented by the health depart- ment. Plans and policies should be regularly reviewed and revised as needed.
8
Each EPH department should complete a workforce assessment to determine the number and types of posi- tions to be included in the EPH program, as well as core competencies for each position. Staff should also iden- tify and address current gaps in training and competence (NALBOH, 2013). Departments should offer continued training, leadership development, education, and men- toring, including annual performance reviews for all EPH employees. Additionally, a community’s EPH workforce should reflect the unique demographics of that commu - nity, and staff should understand their community’s cul- tural, political, and economic underpinnings (APHA, 2001; ASTHO, 2018).
Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of EPH services.
9
Enforce laws and regulations that protect public health.
6
EPH program staff should use a performance manage- ment system to monitor internal activities and achieve- ment of objectives, as well as assess community satisfaction with EPH services. Existing assessments— such as NACCHO’s National Public Health Performance Standards Local Assessment Instrument (NACCHO, 2013) and the CDC’s Environmental Public Health Per- formance Standards (CDC, 2014)—can be used. Jurisdic- tions should develop a written quality improvement plan that involves all partner organizations. Staff should also monitor the best practices of other organizations and agencies. Any data collected should be used to modify services and allocate resources to achieve health equity and improve community health (ASTHO, 2018; NAL- BOH, 2013).
EPH professionals should protect the public from envi- ronmental risks of exposure through enforcement of their jurisdiction’s laws and regulations. Existing laws should be regularly reviewed, and jurisdictions should change or create new laws as necessary, incorporating commu- nity input wherever possible. It is also the responsibil- ity of the EPH department to ensure that constituents understand the requirements and the importance of these regulations. Laws should be applied consistently throughout the juris- diction while considering any impacts the law could have on health equity, and standards should be maintained for licensing, fees, and inspections (ASTHO, 2018; NALBOH, 2013). Staff should also collect data on enforcement activities and share information with constituents and other jurisdictions.
Research for new insights and innovative solutions to EPH problems.
10
Link people to needed EPH services and care.
EPH programs should have the capacity to participate in applied research and share findings with partners. Results of any research should be incorporated into health department policies and programs (NALBOH, 2013). Staff should also encourage community involve- ment in research.
7
EPH staff should ensure equitable access to EPH services. This work includes identifying populations that might face barriers to services and taking steps to mitigate these bar- riers, as well as ensuring that community members can take advantage of available EPH resources (ASTHO, 2018; NALBOH, 2013). To achieve this goal, EPH staff might need to work with partners who can help close gaps in the provision of services.
57
Powered by FlippingBook