Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2010

Healthy people. Community-based prevention.

Fall/Winter 2010 • Volume 27 Number 2

Two traditional public health roles are engaging communities, and focusing on prevention. In this issue of the journal, public health leaders suggest ways that our nation—and our profession—might better integrate clinical and preventive care. Peer-reviewed articles explore several meanings of community, from employee wellness incentives, to walkable and livable community design, to legal frameworks that can support community-based prevention.

Guest Editorial: Interesting Times
David Fleming, Kirsten Wysen, and Hilary Karasz
The current policy and funding environment creates a window of opportunity that makes transformational changes possible, according to three authors from Public Health - Seattle & King County.

Viewpoint: Moving Forward with Confidence
Bobbie Berkowitz
The new dean of Columbia University's School of Nursing reflects on her time in the Pacific Northwest.

Viewpoint: Health Care Reform and Injury Prevention
Mel Kohn
Oregon's public health director discusses opportunities for community-based prevention.

Viewpoint: Will Health Care Reform Enhance Community-Based Prevention?
Steve Helgerson
Idaho's state medical officer sounds a cautionary note about health care reform.

Employee Wellness at Snohomish County Government
Rebecca Olin
Snohomish County's employee wellness program, "Partners for Health," enters its fourth year with a refined focus prompted by local collaboration.

Building Healthy Communities
Barbara Wright
The ways we have built our communities in recent decades discourages healthy behavior – but presents an opportunity for healthy redevelopment.

Public Health Accreditation: A Statewide Survey and Local Perspective
Shannon Dames
Oregon's Deschutes County was the nation's first to receive a site visit from the Public Health Accreditation Board, as part of a pilot project.

Using County Health Rankings to Assess Population Health
Jeri L. Bigbee, Sandra Evans, Judy Nagel, and Diane Kenski
A new statistical project ranks each state's counties according to several health metrics. Idaho authors suggest ways to use these rankings.

Parent-Child Tooth Brushing
Colleen Huebner
By involving young parents, a University of Washington research project reported an increase in tooth brushing among toddlers.

Oregon Laws Support Community-Based Prevention
Shannon O'Fallon
Law can be an important tool in protecting and improving the public's health, according to a senior assistant attorney general in Oregon.

Student Viewpoint: Cavity Prevention in Rural Alaska
Alice Nunes
A dental student observes the way Alaskans help each other improve their dental health.

Web specials

Working with School Districts to Control H1N1
Doug Wangen
A county health department works with local schools districts on a vaccination project.

Annotated Bibliography
Katherine Hall
Resources that provide more depth to the topics covered in the journal.

Sections

Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2010

Departments

Healthy people. Community-based prevention.

Web specials

Info Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2010 Departments From the Dean A Region Rich with Promise From the Editor Building Health in Communities Northwest Region at a Glance County Health Rankings in Our Region Complete Edition PDF Northwest Public Health Fall/Winter 2010 Healthy people. Community-based prevention. Fall/Winter 2010 • Volume 27 Number 2 Two traditional public health roles are engaging communities, and focusing on prevention. In this issue of the journal, public health leaders suggest ways that our nation—and our profession—might better integrate clinical and preventive care. Peer-reviewed articles explore several meanings of community, from employee wellness incentives, to walkable and livable community design, to legal frameworks that can support community-based prevention. Guest Editorial: Interesting Times David Fleming, Kirsten Wysen, and Hilary Karasz The current policy and funding environment creates a window of opportunity that makes transformational changes possible, according to three authors from Public Health - Seattle & King County. Viewpoint: Moving Forward with Confidence Bobbie Berkowitz The new dean of Columbia University's School of Nursing reflects on her time in the Pacific Northwest. Viewpoint: Health Care Reform and Injury Prevention Mel Kohn Oregon's public health director discusses opportunities for community-based prevention. Viewpoint: Will Health Care Reform Enhance Community-Based Prevention? Steve Helgerson Idaho's state medical officer sounds a cautionary note about health care reform. Employee Wellness at Snohomish County Government Rebecca Olin Snohomish County's employee wellness program, "Partners for Health," enters its fourth year with a refined focus prompted by local collaboration. Building Healthy Communities Barbara Wright The ways we have built our communities in recent decades discourages healthy behavior – but presents an opportunity for healthy redevelopment. Public Health Accreditation: A Statewide Survey and Local Perspective Shannon Dames Oregon's Deschutes County was the nation's first to receive a site visit from the Public Health Accreditation Board, as part of a pilot project. Using County Health Rankings to Assess Population Health Jeri L. Bigbee, Sandra Evans, Judy Nagel, and Diane Kenski A new statistical project ranks each state's counties according to several health metrics. Idaho authors suggest ways to use these rankings. Parent-Child Tooth Brushing Colleen Huebner By involving young parents, a University of Washington research project reported an increase in tooth brushing among toddlers. Oregon Laws Support Community-Based Prevention Shannon O'Fallon Law can be an important tool in protecting and improving the public's health, according to a senior assistant attorney general in Oregon. Student Viewpoint: Cavity Prevention in Rural Alaska Alice Nunes A dental student observes the way Alaskans help each other improve their dental health. Web specials Working with School Districts to Control H1N1 Doug Wangen A county health department works with local schools districts on a vaccination project. Annotated Bibliography Katherine Hall Resources that provide more depth to the topics covered in the journal.