Author: Scott Coleman
Danny Staley, N.C. Public Health Division Director, speaks at the 2018 Public Health Leaders’ Conference.
Jan. 23, 2018 — N.C. Public Health Division Director Danny Staley laid out a roadmap to a new strategic service model for public health, known as Public Health 3.0, at this year’s North Carolina Health Leaders’ Conference in Raleigh.
“It’s time for an upgrade to a new public health model that emphasizes cross-sector environmental policy and systems actions that positively impact all determinants of health,” Staley told conference attendees on Jan. 18.
From the late 19th century through most of the 20th century, the focus of public health policy and practice was on the prevention and treatment of disease. That era, now referred to as Public Health 1.0, was aided by new advancements, such as antibiotics and vaccines, as well as developments in sanitation, laboratory science and food safety.
The landmark 1988 U.S. Institute of Medicine Report — The Future of Public Health — launched Public Health 2.0, and focused the mission of governmental public health on assuring conditions in which people can be healthy. This timeframe, which leads up to today, has been defined by a focus on disease prevention, managing chronic disorders, improving surveillance of communicable illnesses and expanding access to care.
Public Health 3.0 will continue this progress with new goals and higher standards of performance, Staley said.
“Increased focus on the social and environmental determinants of health, collecting more reliable and actionable data and developing innovative funding models are just a few of the many keys to ensuring that public health continues to evolve and meet the needs of the people we serve,” he said.
State Health Director Betsey Tilson, MD, MPH, delivers the closing remarks at the 2018 Public Health Leaders’ Conference on Jan. 19.
In a wrap-up of this year’s conference, State Health Director Betsey Tilson, MD, MPH, summarized many of the key points touched on by Staley and other presenters throughout the conference.
Tilson emphasized the need to be nimble and responsive to an ever-changing public health landscape, where both problems and solutions are constantly evolving.
“We must take a pragmatic approach and look for solutions that are realistic and that will meet the needs of the people we serve, now and in the future,” she said.
A recap of the conference and presentations are available on the Division of Public Health’s website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also provides information on its site about the future of governmental public health and the Public Health 3.0 model.