Orientation to Public Health for Students September 2011
Welcome to Public Health This presentation will provide you with an overview of: • What is public health • Who works in public health • What public health professionals do • Foundational documents and resources that will help you to work in public health • Preceptorships in public health - Preceptor, student and faculty roles • What to expect in a public health placement 2
What is public health? • Watch you tube video clip – be mindful that it was made in the USA so might be a little different than what we do here in Canada for public health. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpu42LmLo4U 3
What is public health? S A R S 4
How is public health different from acute care? Acute care hospitals Public health (Primary Care) (Primary Health Care) Focus is on Treatment Focus is on Prevention Patients are individuals and Patients are families, families communities and entire populations Diagnosis – physical exams and tests Diagnosis – epidemiological studies and community input Treatment – Medication, surgery and therapy Treatment – Education, inspection, advocacy, clinical services, vaccination, media communication 5
Upstream-Downstream 6
The five key functions of public health are: Health Promotion Disease Prevention Health Protection Surveillance Population Health Assessment 7
Who works in public health? Nurse Epidemio- Practi- Nurses Physicians logists tioners Dentists Inspectors Dietitians Dental hygienists Administra- Program tive Social Health Planners/ Profession- workers Promoter Evaluators als 8
Governance Population Health Board of Public Health Health Units Medical Officer of Health 10
Health Protection & Promotion Act: Board of Health • Mandate health units to perform functions in health promotion & disease prevention • Ensure the provision of mandated programs & services • Establish overall objectives & priorities for Health Units • Ensure accountability to the community 11
Health Protection & Promotion Act: Medical Officer of Health (MOH) • Directs the overall provision and implementation of programs & services • Evaluates effectiveness & recommends appropriate changes • Reports findings to the Board of Health • Hired by and accountable to the Board of Health Dr. Arlene King, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Division, Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care 12
Ontario Public Health Standards Public Health Standards have established program standards in five main areas: • Chronic Diseases and Injuries • Family Health • Infectious Diseases • Environmental Health • Emergency Preparedness 13
Priority Populations • These are the population groups at risk of socially produced health inequities 14
Factors influencing health 15
Determinants of Health http://www.sdhu.com/content/healthy_living/doc.asp?folder=3225&parent=322 5&lang=0&doc=11749#video • Income and social status • Healthy child development • Social support networks • Biology and genetic endowment • Education and literacy • Health Services • Employment/working conditions • Gender • Personal health practices • Culture and coping skills 16
Determinants of population health: A complex interaction of many factors Therefore in public health we need to ask ourselves key questions when thinking about and planning our programs and services: 1. In what ways can public health support and advocate for programs and services for priority populations? 2. What barriers are in place that we need to address in order to help priority populations access programs and services? 3. In what ways can public health improve the environments where people live, work, learn and play so that priority populations have greater access to opportunities for health? 4. In what ways can public health improve the social and economic conditions that put individuals at greater risk of poor health? 17
Health Equity Equity in health implies that ideally everyone could attain their full health potential and that no one should be disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstance. Whitehead, M. & Dahlgren, G. (2006) 18
What would happen if we didn’t have public health? • Infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, Measles, Mumps and Whooping Cough would be prevalent • People would be ill from food poisoning and poor drinking water • More babies would be hospitalized due to difficulty feeding and more mothers would give up breastfeeding earlier • More youth and adults would be smoking or abusing drugs and alcohol • Unwanted pregnancies would increase, as would the spread of STIs 19
12 Great Achievements 1. Safer and healthier foods 2. Control of infectious diseases 3. Healthier environments 4. Vaccination 5. Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard 6. Motor-vehicle safety 20
12 Great Achievements (continued) 7. Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke 8. Healthier mothers and babies 9. Acting on the social determinants of health 10. Universal policies 11. Safer workplaces 12. Family planning Source: www.cpha100.ca/12-great-achievements 21
Core Competencies • Public Health Sciences • Assessment & Analysis • Policy & Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation • Partnership, Collaboration & Advocacy • Diversity & Inclusiveness • Communication • Leadership 22
There are many opportunities in public health… H1N1 SARS Tobacco POVERTY Strategy 23
Many Opportunities to contribute to the health of society 24
Preparing for a public health placement • Go to your health unit website and read about programs and services • Talk to previous students who have had placements in public health • Meet with your preceptor to get to know him/her and find out specifics about your placement 25
Preparing for your public health placement • Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (www.health.gov.on.ca) • Guidelines for the Provision of Mandatory Health Programs & Services (OPHS) • Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport (www.mhp.gov.on.ca) • Public Health Agency of Canada (www.phac-aspc.gc.ca): Core Competencies in Public Health • Public Health Ontario (www.publichealthontario.ca) • Ontario Public Health Standards (www.health.gov.on.ca) • Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (www.who.int/hpr/NPH/ottawa_charter_hp.pdf) • Ontario Public Health Association OPHA (www.opha.on.ca) • Health Protection and Promotion Act (www.e-laws.gov.on.ca) 26
Roles of student, preceptor and faculty Student Learning Preceptor Faculty 27
What to expect in a public health placement • Expect to move around a lot and be in many places such as in homes and in community agencies • Expect to broaden your thinking and view of what public health does • Expect to attend meetings and have days when you may not necessarily “see” a client • Expect to feel overwhelmed and to feel out of place (at first) as it takes time to get to know the people you are working with and what to expect • Expect to meet a lot of friendly people who love what they do! 28
Advice from previous students Keep open-minded and maintain a This experience will positive attitude Get involved and say only be as good as “yes” to every you make it. Seize experience offered to all opportunities you Public health is very different from acute Share your energy Don’t be afraid to ask care and so be and ideas questions and to ask prepared to do extra to observe or work in reading in order to a variety of program feel prepared areas 29
Acknowledgements The Student Placement, Education & Preceptorship (SPEP) Network has agreed to post this PowerPoint presentation as part of the SPEP Resource Library. This resource is provided as a sample for reference purposes only and is not intended as a complete orientation. This resource was adapted with permission of the following health units: • Niagara Region Public Health • Sudbury & District Health Unit • City of Hamilton Public Health Services • Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit • Region of Waterloo Public Health 30
Good Luck ! 31
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