WINTER 2012 Vol. 25, No. 1 Millions of Americans look to state and local health departments for disease screenings, immunizations and other disease prevention programs. The current economic situation in the United States has led to drastic cuts in funding for public health agencies. State and local health departments have been increasingly unable to provide programs and services upon which community members depend, as evidenced in numerous media reports. 1-3 Most alarming is a recent report published by the National Association of County and City Health Oficials 4 that noted that more than half of all local health departments reduced or eliminated at least one program in the last year. Community Health Centers (CHCs) are especially feeling the pinch, as they serve predominantly low- income patients who are uninsured or who rely on public insurance. “The signiicance of CHCs as sources of care for the uninsured and underinsured has grown as a result of recent Federally Qualiied Health Center (FQHC) expansions and a worsening economy.” 5 Health departments are also responsible for assessing community health, enforcing laws and regulations that protect health, and preparing for emergencies. Anyone who has seen the ilm Contagion can understand the need for a robust public health infrastructure. Research has shown that consistent funding is one of the most important contributors to health departments’ ability to meet public needs. 6 Increases in health department expenditures are signiicantly associated with decreases in infectious disease morbidity at the state level, 7 and increased public health investments can produce measurable improvements in health. 8 However, this evidence has not generally led to consistent, highly funded local health departments: in fact, public health funding is extremely variable 9,10 and driven by the realities of public inance and political agenda setting. Health departments have tried to deal with funding cuts through various strategies including regionalization of services, and greater utilization of volunteers; however, budget cuts have led to drastic job losses and program cuts in many communities. 4 We know that healthy communities and individuals are more productive, live longer, and cost society less money; however, the dependence on public funding for most population health activities may have to be reconsidered given the current inancial crisis. Rather than forgo health promotion and disease prevention activities, I recommend consideration of two key areas to preserve and expand public health activities even during times of inancial stress. First, I recommend integrating population health into other government departments and activities. The Impact of the Current Financial Situation on Public Health Prevention Efforts GUEST EDITORIAL The Impact of the Current Financial Situation on Public Health Prevention Efforts ................ 1 Educating Future Leaders in Public Health...... 2 JSPH and the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce Host Health IT Conference ............ 3 Preparing the Healthcare Workforce for the 21st Century ........................................ 4 Change – Both a Journey and a Destination ..... 4 Summer Institute in Public Health at Lankenau Medical Center ............................ 5 Institute Of Medicine Convenes Workshop On The Allied Health Workforce And Services........ 6 Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Education (JCIPE) Highlighted at Institute of Medicine Workshop ...................... 7 Physician Proiling in Primary Care in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy: A Tool for Quality Improvement ...................... 8 The Aging Population and Health Care: A Japanese Perspective .................................. 9 Health Policy Forums .................................... 10 Upcoming Health Policy Forums - Winter/Spring 2012 ...................................... 14 JSPH Presentations ...................................... 15 JSPH Publications ........................................ 15 Continued on page 2