Public Health Rep

Active collaboration between communities and researchers is critical to developing appropriate public health research strategies that address community concerns. To capture the perspectives of inner-city Seattle communities about issues in community-researcher partnerships, Seattle Partners for Healthy Communities conducted interviews with community members from the ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Central and Southeast Seattle. The results suggest that effective community-researcher collaborations require a paradigm shift from traditional practices to an approach that involves: acknowledging community contributions, recruiting and training minority people to participate in research teams, improving communication, sharing power, and valuing respect and diversity.10968762PMCnul

The 1918 Flu: Lessons Learned from Seattle

The 1918 “Spanish influenza” was the worst influenza pandemic in recorded history. This paper traces advancements made in medicine and public health, especially those made during the latter half of the nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, leading up to the 1918 pandemic, by examining primary source materials and scholarly secondary sources. Unfortunately, the viral cause of influenza would not begin to be understood until the early 1930s. In 1918, the lack of scientific understanding of viruses led to many theories on the nature of influenza, including how to best treat it, and, ultimately, to a feeling of failure among many in the medical community. Fragmentation between state and federal public health organizations at the beginning of the pandemic resulted in a lack of preparation and preventative measures, such as social distancing, in many east coast cities. The impacts of the 1918 influenza in cities like Boston during September 1918, were eye-opening for public health and government officials in Seattle. Seattle escaped the fate of many east coast cities through preparation, unified messaging between national and local public health and government officials, and the implementation of proactive preventative measures. The lessons learned from Seattle’s handling of the 1918 flu can be applied today in our efforts to combat diseases like COVID-19 and future strains of novel viruses

Disaster Med Public Health Prep

ObjectiveWe developed and validated a user-centered information system to support the local planning of public health continuity of operations for the Community Health Services Division, Public Health - Seattle & King County, Washington.MethodsThe Continuity of Operations Data Analysis (CODA) system was designed as a prototype developed using requirements identified through participatory design. CODA uses open-source software that links personnel contact and licensing information with needed skills and clinic locations for 821 employees at 14 public health clinics in Seattle and King County. Using a web-based interface, CODA can visualize locations of personnel in relationship to clinics to assist clinic managers in allocating public health personnel and resources under dynamic conditions.ResultsBased on user input, the CODA prototype was designed as a low-cost, user-friendly system to inventory and manage public health resources. In emergency conditions, the system can run on a stand-alone battery-powered laptop computer. A formative evaluation by managers of multiple public health centers confirmed the prototype design\u2019s usefulness. Emergency management administrators also provided positive feedback about the system during a separate demonstration.ConclusionsValidation of the CODA information design prototype by public health managers and emergency management administrators demonstrates the potential usefulness of building a resource management system using open-source technologies and participatory design principles.P01 TP000297/TP/OPHPR CDC HHS/United StatesT15 LM007442/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United StatesT32 NR007106/NR/NINR NIH HHS/United StatesT15LM007442/LM/NLM NIH HHS/United StatesT32NR007106/NR/NINR NIH HHS/United States5P01TP000297/TP/OPHPR CDC HHS/United States2014-06-18T00:00:00Z24618165PMC4062076vault:243

Biologic Monitoring to Characterize Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure among Children and Workers: An Analysis of Recent Studies in Washington State

We examined findings from five organophosphorus pesticide biomonitoring studies conducted in Washington State between 1994 and 1999. We compared urinary dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP) concentrations for all study groups and composite dimethyl alkylphosphate (DMAP) concentrations for selected groups. Children of pesticide applicators had substantially higher metabolite levels than did Seattle children and farmworker children (median DMTP, 25 μg/L; p < 0.0001). Metabolite levels of children living in agricultural communities were elevated during periods of crop spraying. Median DMTP concentrations for Seattle children and farmworker children did not differ significantly (6.1 and 5.8 μg/L DMTP, respectively; p = 0.73); however, the DMAP concentrations were higher for Seattle children than for farmworker children (117 and 87 nmol/L DMAP, respectively; p = 0.007). DMTP concentrations of U.S. children 6–11 years of age (1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey population) were higher than those of Seattle children and farmworker children at the 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. DMTP concentrations for workers actively engaged in apple thinning were 50 times higher than DMTP concentrations for farmworkers sampled outside of peak exposure periods. We conclude that workers who have direct contact with pesticides should continue to be the focus of public health interventions and that elevated child exposures in agricultural communities may occur during active crop-spraying periods and from living with a pesticide applicator. Timing of sample collection is critical for the proper interpretation of pesticide biomarkers excreted relatively soon after exposure. We surmise that differences in dietary exposure can explain the similar exposures observed among farmworker children, children living in the Seattle metropolitan area, and children sampled nationally

Controlling tuberculosis in the United States: recommendations from the American Thoracic Society, CDC, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America

Introduction -- Scientific Basis of TB Control -- Principles and Practice of TB Control -- Recommended Roles and Responsibilities for TB Control -- Essential Components of TB Control in the United States -- Control of TB Among Populations at Risk -- Control of TB in Health-Care Facilities and Other High-Risk Environments -- Research Needs to Enhance TB Control -- Graded Recommendations for the Control and Prevention of Tuberculosis (TB) -- Acknowledgments -- References"November 4, 2005."Cover title."Corresponding preparers: Zachary Taylor, MD, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC; Charles M. Nolan, MD, Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, Seattle, Washington; Henry M. Blumberg, MD, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. " - p. 1.Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-80)

Public Health Care Delivery in Five U.S. Municipalities: Lessons and Implications

Increasing pressures on private and public hospitals have necessitated a reassessment of urban health care delivery. Patients left unserved by stressed private hospitals have placed a greater burden on public institutions, which themselves are often old, underfunded, and in danger of closure. As policy analysts consider remedies, primary care in community-based settings has reemerged as an important component of planning. We present results of a comparative analysis of five public health care delivery systems (Boston, Dallas, Denver, Milwaukee, and Seattle), reflecting their economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Although significant differences in the relative centralization of care and reliance on community-based clinics are evident, the five cities discussed have incorporated an increased emphasis on preventive and primary care. The diversity among the systems is highlighted: adaptability is apparently a vital component in designing a public health care system appropriate to the needs of particular communities. Implications for Chicago and other cities are discussed

The Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition and Seattle\u27s Health Modernization

This study examines the impacts of modernization in Seattle, Washington during the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century. Using Seattle as a case study, this thesis looks at how modernization was presented at the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition (AYPE) in 1909. During Seattle’s modernization phase, public health, sanitation, and racial fears associated with disease were of utmost importance. By looking at Seattle and its relationship with the AYPE, it becomes clear that the exposition forced Seattle to modernize to become the premier city in the West

Environ Health Perspect

We examined findings from five organophosphorus pesticide biomonitoring studies conducted in Washington State between 1994 and 1999. We compared urinary dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP) concentrations for all study groups and composite dimethyl alkylphosphate (DMAP) concentrations for selected groups. Children of pesticide applicators had substantially higher metabolite levels than did Seattle children and farmworker children (median DMTP, 25 microg/L; p < 0.0001). Metabolite levels of children living in agricultural communities were elevated during periods of crop spraying. Median DMTP concentrations for Seattle children and farmworker children did not differ significantly (6.1 and 5.8 microg/L DMTP, respectively; p = 0.73); however, the DMAP concentrations were higher for Seattle children than for farmworker children (117 and 87 nmol/L DMAP, respectively; p = 0.007). DMTP concentrations of U.S. children 6-11 years of age (1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey population) were higher than those of Seattle children and farmworker children at the 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. DMTP concentrations for workers actively engaged in apple thinning were 50 times higher than DMTP concentrations for farmworkers sampled outside of peak exposure periods. We conclude that workers who have direct contact with pesticides should continue to be the focus of public health interventions and that elevated child exposures in agricultural communities may occur during active crop-spraying periods and from living with a pesticide applicator. Timing of sample collection is critical for the proper interpretation of pesticide biomarkers excreted relatively soon after exposure. We surmise that differences in dietary exposure can explain the similar exposures observed among farmworker children, children living in the Seattle metropolitan area, and children sampled nationally.R826886/PO1ES09601/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United StatesU07/CCU012926/CC/ODCDC CDC HHS/United State

The Place of Health in the Liberal Theory of Justice

Author Information: Paul Tubig PhD Philosophy Student, University of Washington - Seattle [email protected] Submission Title: The Place of Health in the Liberal Theory of Justice Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to articulate the relationship between health and justice. Ethical claims, such as the World Health Organization’s assertion that health is a fundamental human right or that global health inequalities are normative inequities, require a conceptual analysis of the meaning and value of health within a particular framework of justice. Working from the liberal conception of justice as developed by John Rawls, I will argue that the political significance of health is derived from the Rawlsian democratic conception of persons. In developing this thesis, I will first argue against the traditional biomedical approach of defining health within the political context and instead, advocate a conception of health that comprises of a normative dimension to derive moral rights and responsibilities. I will then argue that the most reasonable conception of health as a public value is derived from Rawls’ democratic conception of persons. By understanding the public identity of citizens as persons who possess a specific set of moral powers and highest order moral interests to develop and exercise these powers, we can derive the political significance of health as a necessary background condition to serve these interests. Therefore, structural arrangements should promote public health to the extent that the two moral powers are developed and sustained. Key Words: Justice, Health, Rawls, Liberalism, Healthcare Justice, Political Bioethic

Creating an Equitable Future in Washington State

Creating an Equitable Future in Washington State: Black Well-Being & Beyond is the first in a series of reports assessing barriers to success for Black Washingtonians—including access to and quality of education, housing, jobs and health care.Published in 2015 in collaboration with the Washington Commission on African American Affairs and the African American Leadership Forum–Seattle, the report represents an ongoing effort to elevate and amplify the voices of Black Washingtonians in the decision-making processes that influence their everyday lives.The report seeks to:Identify and evaluate obstacles to economic security, to education opportunities, and to equity in the criminal justice system, in health and in civic engagement.Support a public dialogue on race generally, but be specific about the unique experiences of Black people in Washington state.Contribute to a movement that builds an equitable future for Black Washingtonians and supports community-driven public policy solutions