Verified Document

Responsibilities Of The Federal, State, And Local Essay

¶ … responsibilities of the federal, state, and local public health systems? On a federal level, the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulate food and drug safety, to ensure that American consumers are protected against tainted or unsafe products. The Surgeon General has often been the spearhead of public health campaigns, such as to encourage Americans to quit smoking or to be aware of the gravity of the AIDS epidemic. The White House has likewise championed many public health service campaigns, such as the current 'Let's Move' campaign of Michelle Obama. The Department of Health and Human Services oversees the majority of health-related initiatives on the part of the federal government, including Medicare, the health insurance program provided for all seniors (HHS, 2011, Official Website).

However, state and local public agencies also have substantial responsibilities in safeguarding public safety. "State health agencies must be able to provide the core functions of public health: assessment, policy development, and assurance across the domains of health protection...

2006). State health agencies can declare public health emergencies, such as when there was an outbreak of swine flu several years ago. They issue licenses for specific healthcare practitioners, such as nurses. States also engage in bioterrorism preparedness initiatives. States oversee Medicaid, the health insurance program for Americans living below the poverty level.
Local agencies can provide a variety of health functions to the community, and are often less specifically-defined in nature than those at the national and state level. However, city health departments often have a vital role in monitoring food safety, and all local agencies can offer community-based programs to improve the health of community members, such as activities for youth and health screening days for seniors.

Q2. If you were the national decision maker, would you focus on prevention or health care delivery programs?

When confronted with this dilemma, one's gut instinct is to say 'preventative medicine.' The evidence seems to support this decision, given that preventing…

Sources used in this document:
References

Beitsch, Leslie M.; Robert G. Brooks, Meade Grigg, & Nir Menachemi. (2006). Structure and functions of state public health agencies. American Journal of Public Health. 96(1): 167 -- 172. Retrieved November 14, 2011 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470433/

Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Official Website. Retrieved November 14,

2011 at http://www.hhs.gov/about/whatwedo.html/
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Federal State and Local First Responders Earthquake
Words: 613 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Local, state, and federal organizations and agencies offer resources for responding to natural disasters like earthquakes. In the event of an earthquake, as many first responder resources as are necessary can be mobilized to provide effective and cost-effective interventions. Depending on the severity of the quake, the extent of the damage to both property and human casualty, and the location of the event(s), various first responders may be called in

Federal Criminal Jurisdiction Unlike Local
Words: 1273 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

The last and final level of the federal court system is the U.S. Supreme Court. A federal defendant begins his case in the District Court, but can appeal decisions. Because there is an essential difference between the violation of state and local laws and the violation of federal laws, it would seem as if federal law enforcement agents would play a different role from state or local agents. Pop media

Federal and State Websites State/Federal Research Project
Words: 3989 Length: 12 Document Type: Research Paper

Federal and State Websites State/Federal Research Project State Websites Employment Training Panel Employment training panel (ETP) is a business and labor supported Californian State agency, which funds the vocational training costs. ETP clearly outlines its programs, and can only involve in fund provision for training employers who are subject to the payment of Employment Training Tax. The eligible entities in this case may include single employers who are subject to the UIT (unemployment insurance

Local Government and Tax Incentives
Words: 805 Length: 2 Document Type: Discussion Chapter

Local Government and Tax Incentives Like federal and state governments, local governments offer tax incentives to businesses to help solve economic and/or environmental problems. Conduct an Internet search and find an example of a state or local government (perhaps your own) that offers an incentive to businesses and cite your resource(s). Describe the tax incentive you found, determine what economic problem(s) government is trying to solve by offering the incentive you

Public Policy Directly Affects Local Government Area
Words: 911 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

public policy directly affects local government area organization located. You select a policy affects,, local government area work located. (I work Orlando, Fl). The private sector affected federal, state, local policies. Public policy: Healthcare in Orlando, Florida Public policy is a government's attempt to address a problem that affects the public or to improve citizens' lives through legislation. One example of public policy on a federal level is that of the

Changes Terrorism Has Brought to the United States
Words: 3084 Length: 10 Document Type: Research Paper

Terrorism Has Changed the United States The United States has experienced considerable threats of terrorism in the past decade similar to other parts of the world. This threat has largely emerged from the fact that groups like Al-Qaeda and other terror organizations have continued to pose a significant threat to the United States homeland. Despite the success that the country has achieved in eliminating terror groups and organizations like al-Qaeda,

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now