PLEASE NOTE: No CE or certificate are available in this free course.

Boards of health and their members are critical stakeholders within the population health system and public health workforce. Boards of health are often composed of members from interdisciplinary backgrounds. This training is intended to develop board of health members to have a shared understanding of their role in public health in order to most effectively draw upon their diverse expertise. Its goal is to equip new board of health members with a basic understanding of public health and provide them with practical suggestions for supporting the work of local public health agencies and their leadership. This course takes approximately 2 hours to complete, and is divided into segments of about 15 minutes each.

Audience

Board of health members and public health professionals working with boards of health

Learning Objectives

Public Health: A Primer – Part A 

• Define public health
• List examples of the public health field's impact on population health outcomes
• Identify the three Core Functions and 10 Essential Services of Public Health

Public Health: A Primer – Part B

• Identify components of the public health system
• Discuss the structures and functions of local public health, including the local public health workforce

Operating as a Board of Health

• Distinguish between state and local public health governing entities
• Describe the six functions of public health governance

Financing Public Health

• Describe the role of boards of health as stewards of public health resources
• Identify the importance of funding for boards of health and public health
• List four sources for funding and how to access them

Contributing to Health Equity

• Define the concept of health equity
• Describe the social determinants of health
• Identify strategies for addressing causes of health inequity

Partnerships to Improve Health Outcomes

• Define the role of other sectors in enhancing public health
• Describe the board of health's role in fostering partnerships

Supporting Population Health through Policy and Advocacy

• Explain the difference between policy and advocacy
• Identify strategies for effective policy

Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Discuss the role of boards of health in making tough decisions
• Explain the make-up and command structure of an emergency operations center

Instructors

Michigan PHTC and Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI)

Andy Quarnstrom, Board of Health, Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Sponsors

This training is a collaboration between the Region V (Michigan) Public Health Training Center and the Michigan Public Health Institute.

The Region V Public Health Training Center is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31684 Public Health Training Centers ($924,899). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Region V PHTC, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Technical Information

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Contact us at rvphtc@umich.edu with questions.