The department of public health in Florida has significant endeavors that revolve around health in the United States. The huge amount of resources, technical knowledge, and dedication leads to an active income that can be achieved in providing the services of public health to the residents of Florida. Public health is thus a science that helps in improving and protecting the sector of health among the communities and families through directing lifestyles that are health, immense research on the diseases, prevention of injury, a detection procedure and control of diseases that are deemed to be infectious. Thus, enormous resources are to be put to the sector of public health so that the entire population can be protected. This paper explores on the public health of Miami-Dade County, in the state of Florida, and national public health resources. Also, it focuses on the differences that exist in the public health and community health.
Public Health in Miami-Dade County, the State of Florida and National Public Health Resources
The Miami-Dade County endured a terrible time previously due to the effect caused by the hurricane. The Miami-Dade County Health Department has served in the public health in the county since1940s with several agencies comprising of the Florida Department of health (Bernet& Singh, 2015). The agencies were tasked with promoting and protecting the health of the population in Miami-Dade County. Together with the Florida Department of health, its work was to respond to epidemics, disasters, and the entire public health crisis (Bernet& Singh, 2015).
The national public health resource that is in the United States that is mandated to measure the health care quality using the inpatient data is called is called AHRQ quality indicators. The finding and recommendations that are formulated by this body are used in by the public health department to enhance the health policy formulations. Apart from the AHRQ body that researches on the quality of services that are offered in the health sector, there are other national public health data resources organizations such as the CDC wonder, annual reviews, child trends data bank, food environment Atlas, and the community health status indicators that also assist in the measurement of quality of health care. Thus, the national public health resources are to promote the health of the population (‘Public Opinion about Public Health—United States, 1999′, 2000).
History of Public Health in Florida
In Florida, the public health has been in existence for more than 125 years. The Florida Public Health was designed with a sole purpose of inspiring and educating the public about the heritage of public health. The state board of health was created in the response to the yellow fever epidemics in the port cities (Napier et al., 2004) hence made Joseph Yates the first state health officer. 125 years of Florida is one of the special events telling a fascinating story regarding the evolution of public health agency and the impact it had on the lives of people. An enactment of policies that safeguard the public from environmental hazards, epidemics and educating people on aspects of health in Florida in the year 1889 (Napier et al., 2004). The legislation objects on the protection and improvement of the quality of life of the Floridians through health promotion initiatives. There are more than 50 artifacts in the Florida Department of health as well as the state archives giving personal stories and informative text on the evolution of public health in the state (Napier et al., 2004). There are also historical photographs and illustrations in the public health work and expansion of the public health programs to meet the needs of the people.
The Department of public health in Florida operates over 67 state counties. Since its inception, it has been responsible for offering health services that include; epidemiology, disease surveillance, health education, and promotion, investigation of a disease outbreak, disaster preparedness, and school health (Napier et al., 2004). Additional services such as nutrition, vaccination, and environmental health were incorporated by the department of public health. All this services the Florida public health department was entitled to teach the residents about keeping their hearts healthy. There was an ongoing healthy weight campaign in social media promoting healthy eating habits that were endorsed by the public health. Its social campaign that they held was highlighting on issues such as the public health innovations, challenges, and advances that they had faced for the last 125 years that took place on 2014 where it conceded with the national public health week that marked for embracing physical activity, nutrition, and healthy living.
Differences between Public Health and Community Health
The author of Customwritings review and the owner of blog about health noted that there exists a slim difference between public health and community health. Public health focuses on the sectors that influence the health of persons. Community health revolves around the nursing division that focuses on the healthcare professionals that intervene for the Commonwealth needs (Napier et al., 2004). Contrary to the public health officials, community health professionals only focus on the nursing department that is small In nature while Public health focuses on the entire health sector including the nursing field (Napier et al., 2004). Public health is a science and art of prolonging life and preventing diseases through the promotion of health services that are related to the community, through informed society choices, public and private agencies, community members and individual (Napier et al., 2004).
The public health is wide compared to the health community. It incorporates several disciplines such as the behavioral health, environmental health, biostatics and biotechnology, epidemiology, community health, occupational health, health economics, and public policy (Napier et al., 2004). On the contrary, community health focuses on the geographical areas of the communities and takes into consideration the primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare (Napier et al., 2004). Public health measures the health risk factors through organizing and evaluating health services and policies while, community health takes into account the comprehensive health services and the related health systems. The services include health promotion, preventive health, rehabilitative services, and therapeutic services at the community level (Napier et al., 2004).
Conclusion
The department of public health in Florida has significant endeavors that are immense in the United States. The vast amount of resources, technical knowledge, and dedication leads to an active income that can be achieved in providing the services of public health to the residents of Florida. The core mandate of public health of improving and protecting the sector of health among the communities and families through directing lifestyles that are healthy, extensive research on the diseases, prevention of injury, a detection procedure and control of diseases that are deemed to be infectious should be advocated. Thus, immense resources are to be put to the sector of public health so that the entire population can be protected.