From patchwork to package: implementing foundational capabilities for state and local health departments

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Health Policy

Background:

• Public health responses are hindered by insufficient agency capacity.
• A 2012 Institute of Medicine report outlined essential foundational capabilities for health departments.
• Standardizing these capabilities could reduce performance disparities among health departments nationwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess state and local health departments' awareness of foundational capabilities.
• To evaluate current health department infrastructure in relation to these capabilities.

Main Methods:

• Data collected in Fall 2013 from state and local health departments.
• Survey or information gathering on knowledge of foundational capabilities.

Main Results:

• This study was the first to examine health department infrastructure concerning foundational capabilities.
• Findings detail the extent of knowledge about foundational capabilities within these agencies.

Conclusions:

• Understanding current infrastructure is crucial for improving public health agency capacity.
• Addressing knowledge gaps in foundational capabilities may enhance national public health performance.