2007 Annual Report

2006 Annual Report

2005 Annual Report

WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH?
Public Health is an organized process which protects and promotes physical and mental health and prevents di

sease, injury, disability, and premature death. Public health services are population based services which are focused on improving the health status of the entire population as opposed to the treatment of individuals.

Turning Point- Nebraska ’s Plan to strengthen and Transform Public Health in Our State-November 1999.

Who is Panhandle Public Health District (PPHD)?
Panhandle Public Health District was formed in 2002 through agreements signed by the County Commissioners in Banner, Box Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, and Sheridan Counties. Sioux and Deuel Counties joined the District in 2004.

What is the purpose of PPHD?
The Core Functions of Public Health are Assessment, Assurance and Policy Development.

• Assessment involves the collection, analysis, and sharing of information to identify health conditions, risks, and resources in a community. The assessment function is needed to identify trends in illness, injury, death, and the factors that may cause these events.

• Assurance makes local and state health agencies responsible for assuring that programs and services are available to meet the high priority needs of the population. These programs and services can be provided directly or by encouraging other public or private agencies to provide them.

• Policy development focuses on building coalitions that can develop local and state policies based on high priority health care needs.
   

The purpose of Panhandle Public Health District is to ensure the provision of the ten Essential Public Health Services including:
 

• Monitor health status to identify community health problems.
   

• Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
   

• Inform, educate, and empower people about health hazards.
   

• Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems.
   

• Develop policy and plans that support individual and community health efforts.

The plan includes the following key areas:
 

• Cancer (smoking prevention/cessation, cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer)
   

• Child/Adolescent Health (teen births, school nurse shortage, health education, undiagnosed mental or behavioral problems)
   

• Chronic Disease (diabetes, obstructive pulmonary disease)
   

• Community Development and Collaboration (high school drop out rates, community health promotion programs, exercise)
   

• Environmental Health (lead, substandard housing, asthma, indoor air quality, smoke free public spaces/restaurants)
   

• Heart Disease and Stroke (cholesterol, high blood pressure)
   

• Immunization and Infectious Disease (children, senior flu vaccines, hepC, hep-B)
   

• Injuries and Violence Prevention (youth violence, child abuse, child safety seats, motor vehicle accidents, domestic violence)
   

• Maternal Infant Health (first trimester care, infant mortality, low birth weight)
   

• Mental Health and Substance Abuse (undiagnosed depression, youth alcohol and substance use, tobacco use, dual diagnosis.)
   

• Nutrition and overweight (Obesity, physical activity, nutrition)
   

• Oral health (preventive dental screenings, dental sealants, periodontal disease)
   

• Public health infrastructure (minority public health, community health hazards, community partnerships)
   

• Reproductive Health (HIV, Sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies)

How do we know we are making progress?
Monitoring of current public health services, and future developments of services, will be based on the Panhandle Public Health District’s Assessment and Plan and Healthy People 2010 Objectives. HP 2010 objectives are national public health outcomes established by the Center for Disease Control. Nebraska also has a Healthy People 2010 plan for our state. PPHD has established HP 2010 benchmarks for the Panhandle as well.

• Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and insure safety.
   

• Link people to needed health services and assure the health care when otherwise unavailable.
   

• Assure a competent public health and personal care workforce.
   

• Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population based health services.
   

• Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.

How is PPHD governed?
PPHD is governed by a Board of Directors. Each county appoints a County Commissioner and a community representative to the Board. There is also a dentist and physician on the board.  Click here to see a list of our board members.

How are public health services provided?
For many years agencies and groups in the Panhandle have been providing many public health services. The PPHD Board does not plan to provide additional services. Rather, in order to sustain local communities, the initial PPHD role will be to assist individual communities in assessing their current public health services and needs and planning for the future.

PPHD will then coordinate these county plans, and set priority areas for further development of public health in the Panhandle based on the Panhandle Public Health Plan and Assessment.

In addition to direct public health services, such as immunizations, many of the programs, services, and initiatives in the Panhandle are linked to public health, such as prevention of youth substance use and abuse. Because we have limited resources it is important to integrate this work.

To search for services within your area please go www.ne211.org.

What is included in the PPHD Assessment and Plan?
In 2001, Scientific Technologies Corporation, a nationally known consulting firm, conducted a public health assessment and community based planning process for the Panhandle.