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....Clearly, just by its definition, functions, and services, public health is not just the responsibility of a single agency or exclusive to any one organization. The Department of Health is not “public health” in and upon itself, but one of a multitude of supportive agencies and organizations that impact public health in a positive way each and every day. Public Health services impacts and enriches the lives of our communities each and every day. Assurance of childhood immunizations is a core public health function and is provided by many different organizations including valued partners in the private sector. Control of communicable diseases is a core public health function, and while the investigation and educational functions are predominately provided through the public sector, the treatment of communicable diseases is shared by the public and private sectors. Food safety, from the fields, waters, pastures and pens, to the plates of the end consumer is a public health function, yet while the investigation of food borne illnesses is the responsibility of the department of health, the assurance of the safety of foods is the shared responsibility of numerous government agencies. Politics does not define public health or the need for public health services, it only confines or advances the provision of public health services through current funding and policies. In many instances the provision of public health services, which services are or are not to be provided, and which agencies, organizations, or businesses provide the services, is not based on a clear understanding of the functions of public health, the need for public health services, or scientific data related to public health, but on funding restraints, misinformation, and philosophy. It is the responsibility of every Florida Public Health Association member, every Public Health professional, every organization providing Public Health services, to educate the public and elected officials of the value and necessity of Public Health. That Public Health touches their lives, and that of their family, friends and neighbors, each and every day in the water they drink, the food that they eat, the sewage they create, the control of communicable disease, the prevention of childhood diseases through vaccinations, the collection of scientific data, education, and hundreds of other Public Health activities which promote and protect the wellbeing of the public at large. That the functions of Public Health are not just those services provided by the Health Department, but - the universities creating our next generation of Public Health professionals; the government agencies inspecting restaurants, the control and recycling of waste, both solid and wastewater, the safety of crops, meat and dairy; the organizations that fight for smoke free environments, nutritionally healthy foods, disease prevention; and, many other agencies and organizations that provide Public Health Services. I am proud and humbled to serve as the 82nd President of the Florida Public Health Association. I know together we can stand up for our values to improve the health and safety of the members of our communities. As an Association we must take time and reflect on the changes taking place in Public Health; we must increase our membership by reaching out to our fellow public health professionals in other agencies and organizations; and, we must educate the public and elected officials of what Public Health represents. I look forward to working with you on these challenges, creating opportunities for growth of our Association and in our mission to protect and improve the health and well-being of all people. Jeffrey Keiser |
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