Israel's National Center for Public Health--a novel conceptual approach

Adoption of the new perspective of public health as a comprehensive and multidisciplinary mixture of objectives and activities requires a novel approach to the planning and the evaluation of health programs and to the training of health personnel.The implication of this process for the Israeli health arena suggests the establishment of a national center for public health. The cornerstones of the Israel National Center for Public Health (INCPH) consist of the classic triad: health care providers, leaders of regulatory agencies, and representatives of the academic institutions.The INCPH basic units would be structured by a top executive board of directors, by steering or professional committees whose main objectives are to develop criteria and guidelines and the evaluation of projects, and by a permanent staff group to maintain primary responsibility for the implementation of the center's programs.A number of practical steps have been taken in respect to the establishment of the center. The suggested mode of operation encompasses a variety of mechanisms to promote research in and planning or evaluation of health services and a nationwide effort to coordinate health manpower education by combining expertise and knowledge of all the nation's teaching institutions. International activity consisting of the education of health professionals from developing countries is also envisaged.