Reference Proposal - Our Public Health Infrastructure

Reference Proposal - Our Public Health Infrastructure

Our The Healthy People 2020 initiative provides a vision for how we can all achieve the goal of living longer, healthier lives (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011). We depend on our public health system to help us reach these goals.

For many of us, access to clean air and water is something we take for granted. We depend on our local health departments to monitor air and water quality, as well as provide epidemiological surveillance to monitor infectious disease outbreaks. Vaccines for vaccine preventable diseases are also a resource health departments provide, along with family planning and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. Tuberculosis and HIV education and treatment are also provided, as well as initiatives to help us reach our Healthy People 2020 goals Preparedness programs are also part of the responsibility of local health units, as well as specific programs needed in each locale.!

Unfortunately, tThese services require financial support from state and local public jurisdictions that have suffered economically in recent years. Results from a recent survey by theNational Association of County and City Health Officials ( NAACHO)shows that local health departments continue to be impacted by budget cuts leading to staff and program elimination.

We Nurses need to be advocates for our public health services. If we our communities are to achieve our our full potential for health, we nurses must support a public health system that seeks to decrease the impact of preventable diseases. Therefore:

WHEREAS chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are responsible for seven out of ten deaths among Americans. , each year, and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending,In 2006, 50% of the US population with chronic diseases accounted for 84% of all health care spending in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014)

( Nurse.com)AND

WHEREAS in spite of available preventative services such as immunizations and routine disease screenings offered by both the public and private sectors, millions of people go without services that could protect them from disease, (Nolte & McKee, 2011)(Nurse.com)AND

WHEREAS Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high income countries( Australia, Canada, France, Japan)(National Research Council Report, 2013; Nolte & McKee, 2011), AND

WHEREAS 3.1% of 2.5 trillion spent on health ( 77.2 billion) is spent on the work of government public health agencies, which is $251 out of $8,086 spent on health overall ( Institute of Medicine, 4/10/12), AND

WHEREAS between July 2010 and June 2011, 55% of all local health departments made cuts to at least one program with 68% of the US population living in one of those affected jurisdictions( NalbothNewsbrief, 2012), AND

WHEREAS many local health departments struggle to retain skilled staff due to low wages and morale (NalboNthNewsbrief, 2012) AND

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WHEREAS since 2008, local health departments throughout the nation have shed 34,400 employees, loosinglosing three times as many staff as they gained ( NalbothNewsbrief, 2012)

WHEREAS nearly half (45% of all local health departments reported a lower budget this fiscal year compared to last, and 52% expect more reductions in the next fiscal year ( NalbothNewsbrief, 2012) AND

WHERAS Florida experienced the third highest percentage ( 72%) of budget cuts from 2012-2013 (NACCHO survey,2013), AND

WHEREAS the trend in Florida in average turnover rates for nurses in public health has increased from 2009 to 2013 ( Florida Center for Nursing Survey, 2013), AND

WHEREAS the estimated statewide growth in public health nursing positions in Florida is among the lowest of all practice settings in the state( Florida Center for Nursing Survey, 2013), AND

WHEREAS the projected growth in Florida for RN’s in public health in 2013 was at “13”, the lowest of all specialty positions( Florida Center for Nursing Survey, 2013),

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Florida Nurses Association

1.)Will provide ongoing education to applicable agencies/programs regarding concerns associated with decreased public health staffing, and its effect on the health of the citizens of the state of Florida, and

2.)Work with other organizations to increase awareness of the effects of decrease public health resources on the health of the citizens of Florida, and

3.)Continue to work with its Health Care Professionals ( HCP) Bargaining Unit through lobbying efforts to support state employees’ issues.

Costs to FNA – Since FNA already has membership funding from the HCP, education is the only expenditure.

Resources:

Florida Center for Nursing, Florida center for Nursing’s 2013 Statewide Nurse Employer Survey:

Institute of Medicine, Committee on Public Health Strategies to Improve Health, Public Release, April 10, 2012.

National Research Council,

NACCHO, National Association of County and City Health Officials,

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Healthy People 2020. Retrieved from

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Chronic disease prevention and health promotion. Retrieved from

NalbothNewsbrief, “ Naccho’s Survey Reveals Continued Cuts at Local Health Departments,” 1st Quarter/2012, Volume 19, issue 1, pg. 6-7.

Nolte, E., & McKee, M. (2011). Variations in amenable mortality - Trends in 16 high-income nations. Health Policy, 103, 47-52.

Nurse.com, South, April, 8,2013, pp28-33.