Displaying 1521-1540 of 2312 results for

The Island Health Equity Framework builds shared understanding to reflect island cultures, strengths, and paths toward health equity.

CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain, 2022: Resources for Decision-Makers In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the updated Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain (2022 Clinical Practice Guideline). These educational resources, developed by ASTHO with support from CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, aim to enhance decision-makers’ understanding of the scope and purpose of the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline. Summary of Updates The 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline updates and replaces the 2016 CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, leveraging new data to provide evidence-based recommendations for prescribing opioid pain medication for acute, subacute, and chronic pain. This resource summarizes what’s new within the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline. Access the Summary of Updates   What It Is vs. What It's Not The 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline aims to inform patient-centered decision-making between patients and clinicians. The recommendations are not intended to be implemented as absolute limits for policy or practice across populations by organizations, health care systems, or government entities. This resource is intended to increase understanding of the intended use of the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline. Access What It Is vs. What It's Not   Key Messages for Decision-Makers The 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline provides voluntary recommendations for clinicians that are intended to be flexible to support, not supplant, individualized patient-centered care. This resource summarizes the purpose and audience of the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline and why and how it was developed. Access Key Messages for Decision-Makers   Further Considerations for Decision-Makers Decision-makers, including legislators, licensing boards, payers, and other regulatory bodies, have an opportunity to examine current laws, regulations, and policies and ensure that they reflect and provide flexibility for clinicians to address the multiple complexities and nuances of individualized patient care for patients, as discussed in the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline’s guiding principles and recommendations. This resource highlights some of the key policy considerations in the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline. Access Further Considerations for Decision-Makers   Health Equity Considerations To reduce health inequities, disparities in access to and utilization of pain care must be addressed. This resource outlines considerations for promoting health equity when interpreting the 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline recommendations. Access Health Equity Considerations for Opioid Therapy website yes False

The Catalyst Center for Firearm Injury Prevention will take action to address firearm injury and death as a public health issue using evidence-based and equity-driven public health approaches.

This how-to guide provides steps, tips, and templates for developing and maintaining effective partnerships within island health agencies.

Impacting Social Determinants of Health Through Managed Care Contracts astho, association of state and territorial health officials, state health, public health, public health officials, territorial health, social determinants of health, medicaid, managed care organizations, community health worker, state health agency, social services, population health, centers for disease control, departments of social services, improving health, health educator, cultural competence of service, managed care plan, health outcomes, community health worker chw, primary care, health equity ASTHO | Medicaid Managed Care Contract Practices to Improve Social Determinants of Health Approximately 67 million Americans are enrolled in some form of Medicaid Managed Care plan.1 Consequently, state Medicaid agencies contracting with managed care organizations (MCOs) is a powerful tool for scaling evidence-based public health practices. Through a scan of Medicaid MCO contract requirements, ASTHO identified examples of contract language that state health agencies (SHAs) can consider for inclusion in future Medicaid funding cycles as a component of ongoing collaboration with their Medicaid counterparts. ASTHO organized examples of contract language from eight states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Hampshire) into the following categories: community health worker (CHW) collaboration, population health program design and reporting, State Health Agency (SHA) collaboration, social determinants of health (SDOH) community engagement, SDOH data analysis, SDOH screening, SDOH staffing requirements, and social services referral requirements. website yes

Environmental Health Policy Guides Environmental health is concerned with how interactions between humans and their environments impact human health. The field emerged to protect people from chemical or biological threats in their environment like air pollution and waterborne diseases. More recently, the field focuses on creating health promoting environments, such as homes, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods and communities. Human-environment interactions are complex, and issues are often under the jurisdiction of multiple agencies or organizations. For example, environmental agencies may be responsible for air and water quality and natural resource agencies for energy creation. Therefore, improving overall population health necessitates cross-sectoral collaboration on policies, programs, and projects. Health in All Policies (HiAP) provides a framework for working with other sectors to address these multifaceted issues. In order to promote the cross-sector collaborations taking place at the local, state and federal levels, ASTHO is developing a series of topic-specific, evidence-based policy guides. The guides catalogue policies and programs that link environmental issues that have benefited from a health perspective. These guides are developed with feedback from a range of subject matter experts, CDC, as well as ASTHO’s HiAP Steering Committee and Advisory Groups. website yes

A training to help clinicians report and recognize the signs and symptoms of a cyanobacterial bloom-associated illnesses.

A guide to setting up and facilitating Health Equity Circles in the workplace.

Guidance and Perspectives From Leaders to Their Peers

Early Brain Development Approaches for Public Health Leaders This pair of infographics details different approaches that public health leaders can take to ensure healthy early brain development. They include strategies and state examples. article yes

Public Health Authority Toolkit public health emergency, disease outbreak, public health authority, infectious disease, environmental health, emergency response plans, executive emergency powers, disease spread, public health services, national emergencies act, federal government, local government, emergency authority, communicable disease, public health emergency declared, local health departments, centers for disease control, disease control and prevention, geographic area, executive order, reporting requirements, emergency situations, covid-19 pandemic, state and local governments, public health agency, astho, association of state and territorial health officials Public Health Authority Toolkit | ASTHO The authority to manage public health threats was built into the U.S. legal system as far back as the first boards of health at the turn of the 19th century. To date, state and territorial health officials have broad responsibilities to protect their communities from various health threats and, by virtue of the statutory authorities granted to their positions, can mitigate these threats through a variety of activities. These legal authorities support routine public health activities such as investigating a disease outbreak or abating a nuisance. When the outbreak exceeds a traditional response, becoming a public health emergency, health officials often have additional powers under an executive emergency declaration. Given the political response towards the exercise of public health authority during COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., isolation and quarantine, social distancing orders, contact tracing, etc.), rapid and substantial changes to public health authority have occurred in several jurisdictions. The efforts to limit the ability of public health officials to protect their communities vary significantly by jurisdiction and are shaped by a variety of political landscapes. As the leading voices in governmental public health, current and former health officials are uniquely qualified to inform the public and policymakers about the need to retain the foundational legal responsibilities to protect public health. ASTHO developed this toolkit to support governmental public health officials and ASTHO alumni, and to provide an understanding of state and territorial public health’s legal responsibility and authority in an acute or declared public health emergency. This toolkit includes evidence-based resources, examples of legislative testimony, and other resources to assist state and territorial health officials and educate the public and policymakers. On This Page Protecting Public Health Evidence Base and Rationale Support from ASTHO Alumni and Partner Organizations Responding to Challenges of Public Health Authority Additional Resources Padding Block - Medium(12) Divider - Gray Protecting Public Health What is public health authority? Public health agencies are responsible for protecting and promoting the health of the public within a specific jurisdiction. State and territorial health officials are granted legal authorities to prevent and mitigate the spread of infectious disease and other health threats. These mechanisms are available in day-to-day operations to prevent, detect, and contain health threats in the community, and in the event of a declared disaster or public health emergency. Public health authority is not a static concept and can vary by jurisdiction, change over time, and be utilized in both routine and emergency situations. Public health authority is typically governed by laws and regulations at different levels of government, including federal, state, tribal, local, and territorial. The specific powers and responsibilities granted to public health agencies can differ between jurisdictions and be shared. For example, under Maryland law, a Governor’s proclamation of a public health emergency can authorize the health official to require people to be tested or treated for disease whereas other states do not have a similar law specifying that power. Public health legal responsibility is not fixed and can evolve over time to address emerging health challenges, advancements in scientific knowledge, and societal changes. Public health laws and regulations may be updated or revised periodically to adapt to new threats or to improve public health outcomes. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for rapid policy changes, such as implementing mask mandates, travel restrictions, or vaccine distribution plans, which were enacted under existing or newly established public health authority. Public health officials exercise their legal authorities with great care, weighing the need to prevent or stop the spread of disease with individual rights and liberties. Additionally, state laws establish boundaries and safeguards to ensure that people’s rights and liberties are respected. Public health laws often define the scope of authority, specify procedures for enforcement, establish accountability mechanisms, and outline avenues for judicial review or appeal. It is important to note that these authorities can be exercised in both routine and emergency situations. In routine circumstances, public health agencies use their authority to enforce regulations related to disease control, food safety, sanitation, immunizations, environmental health, and more. They carry out disease tracking, monitoring, and prevention efforts to safeguard public health on an ongoing basis. During emergencies, such as disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or bioterrorism events, public health authority can expand to address the unique challenges posed by the situation. This may involve activating emergency response plans, mobilizing additional resources, issuing emergency orders (e.g., citing orders to promote social distancing, gathering restrictions, closing a school to limit the spread of disease, etc.), coordinating with other agencies, and communicating critical information to the public. Emergency situations often provide public health agencies with additional powers and flexibility to protect the population rapidly. How are public health authorities different than executive emergency powers? Executive emergency powers are generally exercised through a Governor or through an Emergency or Executive Order. During COVID-19 pandemic many states used emergency powers to: Promote social distancing through gathering limits, closures of non-essential businesses. Require face coverings in certain situations. Expand staff capacity to conduct contact tracing,case investigations, and mass vaccination campaign. When can governmental public health entities exercise their legal powers to protect public health? Governmental public health entities have a range of legal responsibilities that are generally established in statute by the state or territorial legislature and ratified by the governor. The list below is not all encompassing but highlights the foundational capabilities that guide the actions public health officials may take to address a health threat. Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Although specific mechanisms vary between jurisdictions, common powers include the ability to order isolation or quarantine, to conduct contact tracing and disease investigations, to require vaccinations among certain groups and in specific situations, and to order other measures to mitigate and prevent the community spread of disease (e.g., cancelling events, venue closures, and face mask protocols). Isolation and Quarantine Some of the oldest tools available to governmental public health to limit disease spread are isolation and quarantine. All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and most territories provide the state and territorial health official (S/THO) with the legal authority to require an individual or group of people to remain in isolation or quarantine. In all cases, anyone subject to an isolation or quarantine order has rights to due process under the law and can petition a court to review the order and determine whether the isolation or quarantine should continue, be modified, or ended. Contact Tracing and Case Investigation Another core function of state and local public health is determining the spread of communicable diseases. To do so, public health personnel interview individuals infected with and exposed to a communicable disease to determine their close contacts and notify those contacts of recommended next steps to limit the spread of the communicable disease. Few states have codified this common public health practice in statute, although a few states have enacted statutes related to COVID-19 contact tracing over the past year. Vaccination Expanding vaccination efforts is a cornerstone function of public health. All 50 states, Washington, D.C., and most territories require vaccinations in some form. In some jurisdictions, the S/THO also has the power to limit the attendance of unvaccinated students during disease outbreaks. In many jurisdictions, state health agency expertise determines which vaccines are required for school enrollment. Community Mitigation Measures In some jurisdictions, the scope of the health official’s power extends to measures that can mitigate the community spread of a disease. This may include orders cancelling or altering the size of events or other gatherings, requiring the use of face coverings, gloves, or other personal protective equipment, altering the operation of businesses and other venues, or requiring health screenings or proof of vaccination. Studies of the community mitigation measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that stay-at-home orders helped reduce activities associated with the coronavirus’ spread and that face mask protocols and venue closures helped to limit community transmission of the disease. Environmental Health Governmental public health entities routinely address environmental factors that contribute to disease transmission and poor health outcomes.

Leveraging Healthy People 2030 to Build Non-Traditional Multisector Partnerships multisector partnerships, healthy people 2030, health equity, health outcomes, social services, health disparities, preventable disease, premature death, health literacy, economic stability, social determinants of health, department of health, improving the health, united states, long term, life expectancies, population health, chronic diseases, prevention and health promotion, health care system, disease prevention and health, health systems, healthy people 2030 objective, subject matter experts, office of disease prevention, personal health literacy, achieving health equity, health problem, population groups, astho, association of state and territorial health officials Corinne Gillenwater, Megan DeNubila-Griffin ASTHO | This toolkit helps public health build and maintain relationships with non-traditional partners across a multitude of sectors. The goal of this toolkit is to help state and territorial health agencies (S/THAs) build non-traditional, non-public health sector partnerships to improve health outcomes and advance health equity. The Healthy People 2030 objectives, aligned closely with the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework and Health in All Policies (HiAP) lens, can serve as the cornerstone of these collaborations. This toolkit is implementation-focused, providing partnership-building and -sustaining skills that are rooted in Healthy People 2030 tools and success stories and can be operationalized for community needs. Overall, this toolkit encourages S/THAs to implement these described strategies in their own public health practice to: Establish and maintain partnerships within and across sectors at the state and territorial level to create a shared vision of health. Respond to public health priorities collaboratively and strategically. On This Page Using Healthy People 2030 in Non-Traditional Partnerships to Improve Public Health Types of Non-Public Health Sector and Non-Traditional Partnerships for Consideration Foundations of Strong Partnerships Sustainability of Partnerships 10 Steps for Strong Public Health Multisector Partnerships Conclusion Additional Resources website yes

Learn how to prevent firearm injury with actionable steps for defining/monitoring the problem and implementing/improving effective your prevention strategies.

Equip your public health agency with strategies to maintain and expand services for HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis.

Learn how health agencies can pursue public health partnerships with Community Action partners to strengthen immunization infrastructure.

Unlock key strategies for addressing and mitigating Long COVID effects, with step by step guidance, examples, and a wealth of supplementary resources.

These resources are intended to support island jurisdictions in program planning, retaining community health workers (CHW), preventing CHW burnout, integrating them into health systems, and communicating their role.

2026 Toolkits article

This summary of our annual environmental scan identifies public health concerns and trends and health agencies’ top current and emerging priorities.

The Region IV Public Health Training Center offers a free, 3-part on-demand webinar series on community engagement to improve health outcomes.