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Biomedical subjects

Edward L Baker

Publications and source records attributed to Edward L Baker.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

The public health infrastructure and our nation's health.

Threats to Americans' health-including chronic disease, emerging infectious disease, and bioterrorism-are present and growing, and the public health system is responsible for addressing these challenges. Public health systems in the United States are built on an infrastructure of workforce, information systems, and organizational capacity; in each of these areas, however, serious deficits have been well documented. Here we draw on two 2003 Institute of Medicine reports and present evidence for current threats and the weakness of our public health infrastructure. We describe major initiatives to systematically assess, invest in, rebuild, and evaluate workforce competency, information systems, and organizational capacity through public policy making, practical initiatives, and practice-oriented research. These initiatives are based on applied science and a shared federal-state approach to public accountability. We conclude that a newly strengthened public health infrastructure must be sustained in the future through a balancing of the values inherent in the federal system.

Accreditation↗

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage caused by segmental arterial mediolysis of the inferior mesenteric artery: report of a case.

PURPOSE: This article reports a patient with acute intra-abdominal hemorrhage secondary to a rare vascular disease, segmental arterial mediolysis METHODS: The patient was a 56-year-old female who presented with severe acute abdominal pain. An abdominal and pelvic computed tomogram demonstrated suggestion of an intra-abdominal hemorrhage. Visceral angiography illustrated aneurysms in the branches of the inferior mesenteric artery. The patient underwent a left hemicolectomy with resection of the diseased artery. RESULTS: The angiographic and histologic findings were consistent with a diagnosis of segmental arterial mediolysis involving only the inferior mesenteric artery. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first known reported case of intra-abdominal hemorrhage related to segmental arterial mediolysis requiring emergent hemicolectomy.

Abdomen↗

Availability and perceived effectiveness of public health activities in the nation's most populous communities.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the availability and perceived effectiveness of 20 basic public health activities in the communities where most Americans reside. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to the 497 directors of US local health departments serving at least 100 000 residents. RESULTS: On average, two thirds of the 20 public health activities were performed in the local jurisdictions surveyed, and the perceived effectiveness rating averaged 35% of the maximum possible. In multivariate models, availability of public health activities varied significantly according to population size, socioeconomic measures, local health department spending, and presence of local boards of health. CONCLUSIONS: Local public health capacity varies widely across the nation's most populous communities, highlighting the need for targeted improvement efforts.

Efficiency, Organizational↗

Building the legal foundation for an effective public health system.

Work has been underway nationally since the mid-1990s to equip state and community public health systems with the infrastructure needed to perform essential public health services. Key components of that infrastructure are a competent workforce, information and communication systems, health department and laboratory capacity, and legal authorities. As part of this transformative work, standards and assessment tools have been developed to measure the capacity and actual performance of public health systems. In addition, a number of states have examined the legal foundation for public health services and have revised and updated those authorities to improve their system's capacity in the context of evolving health challenges. Among those states are Nebraska, New Jersey, and Texas, all of which, beginning in 1999, have adopted dynamic new approaches to aligning public health's legal authorities with new missions and expectations for performance and accountability. This article describes the approaches that these three states have taken to strengthen their legal foundation for public health practice, to illuminate the perspectives legislators and health officials bring to the process, and to give decision makers in other states practical insight into the potential benefits of reviewing and restructuring public health's legal authorities. The underlying stimuli for the states' initiatives differed significantly, yet shared an important, common core. What they held in common was concern that outdated elements of the public health system and infrastructure hindrered delivery of essential public health services at the community level. Where they differed was in the type of tools they found most suitable for the job of rejuvenating those structures. The approaches taken, and the policy tools selected, reflect the unique health needs of each state, establish relationships among state and community health authorities and agencies, and provide guidance by elected and appointed policy makers. Each state continues to refine its approach as it gains experience with the new authorities.

Community Health Services↗

Management is a Team Sport.

"The Management Moment" is a regular column within the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Janet Porter, PhD, and Edward Baker, MD, MPH, MSc, are serving as The Management Moment Editors. Dr. Porter is Associate Dean for Executive Education, The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr. Baker is Director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This column provides commentary and guidance on timely management issues commonly encountered in public health practice.

Communication↗

Managing the boss.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Administrative Personnel↗

Partnering essentials.

"The Management Moment" is a regular column within the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Janet Porter, PhD, and Edward Baker, MD, MPH, MSc, are serving as The Management Moment Editors. Dr. Porter is Associate Dean for Executive Education, The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr. Baker is Director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This column provides commentary and guidance on timely management issues commonly encountered in public health practice.

Community Health Planning↗

Public health capacity building in southeastern Europe: a partnership between the Open Society Institute and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The political disintegration of former Yugoslavia inaugurated in 1991 resulted in the decentralization of health systems in the federation's successor nation-states. Efforts by the Open Society Institute improved public health planning and management needs consequent to health sector changes. Beginning in Croatia in 2001, the Institute developed ongoing collaborations between Andrija Stampar School of Public Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2003 and 2004, it expanded its project to include the republics of Macedonia and of Serbia and Montenegro.

Academies and Institutes↗

Practicing management and leadership: creating the information network for public health officials.

The Management Moment" is a regular column within the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Janet Porter, PhD, and Edward Baker, MD, MPH, MSc, are serving as The Management Moment Editors. Dr Porter is Associate Dean for Executive Education, The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr Baker is Director of The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This column provides commentary and guidance on timely management issues commonly encountered in public health practice.

Information Services↗

Meetings, meetings, and more meetings.

The Management Moment" is a regular column within the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. Janet Porter, PhD, and Edward L. Baker, MSc, MD, MPH, are serving as The Management Moment Editors. Dr Porter is Associate Dean for Executive Education, The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Dr Baker is Director of The North Carolina Institute for Public Health, School of Public Health, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This column provides commentary and guidance on timely management issues commonly encountered in public health practice.

Group Processes↗

The crucible of public health practice: major trends shaping the design of the Management Academy for Public Health.

Public health leaders and managers need new leadership and management skills as well as greater entrepreneurial acumen to respond effectively to broad demographic, socioeconomic, and political trends reshaping public health. This article asserts that the need for such training and skills was the impetus for the conceptualization, design, and launch of the Management Academy for Public Health--an innovative executive education program jointly offered by the schools of business and public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Entrepreneurship↗

Creating the Management Academy for Public Health: relationships are primary.

True collaboration among large federal agencies is rare, as is that among large and influential national foundations. The collaboration between two major government health agencies (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration) and three major health foundations (the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the CDC Foundation) to create the Management Academy for Public Health is unprecedented in public health over the past quarter century. We attribute this success to the unique combination of a strong foundation of relationships between the partners and a commitment to generative dialogue throughout the design and implementation of the program. The success and sustainability of the Academy derive directly from these critical success factors, serving as an exemplary model for future collaborative endeavors.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗

Strengthening the nation's public health infrastructure: historic challenge, unprecedented opportunity.

The nation's attention has been focused on the vital need for a strong public health infrastructure to protect community health. In this paper we provide an overview of progress during the past decade and point to immediate challenges and opportunities that resulted from recent events. Further, we highlight the need for continued vigilance and broad partnership development if we are to maintain public support for public health. Finally, we point to the need for better language, compelling case reports, and quantitative capacity assessment to guide policymakers and program leaders and to ensure long-term support.

Community Health Planning↗