Develop an argument based on the readings in Module/Week 1, addressing the following
issues:
How do public health and healthcare delivery systems complement and compete
with each other?
Who are the influential parties and opinion leaders in the components of these
systems at the various levels?
Where are the consistencies and inconsistencies of these systems with Scripture?
(hint: widows, orphans, work, gleaning
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Public health and healthcare delivery systems both improve the health of the
population. But to understand how they complement and complete with each other, it is
important to first define public health and healthcare delivery systems. Per Charles –
Edwards Amory (1920), “Public health is the science and art of preventing disease
prolonging life, and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized
community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control of community
infections, education of the individuals in principles of personal hygiene, the organization
of medical and nursing services for the early, diagnosis and preventives treatment of
disease in the community and standard of living adequate for maintenance of health”. The
expanding responsibilities of public health as indicated in the definition shows the
importance of public health in protecting and improving the health of the population.
However, Public health needs effective and efficient healthcare delivery systems to
directly deliver quality and affordable healthcare to the population. Thus, healthcare
delivery systems are the means through which many interventions and programs are
planned and delivered. It embodies all organizations, resources and institutions which
produce action for improving health1. In this manner, public health and healthcare
delivery systems complete and complement with each other.
Three governmental levels that take part in the healthcare delivery systems in the
United States are: the federal government, state government and the local government.
The federal government plays an enormous role in healthcare delivery. It “provides a
range of regulatory and funding mechanisms including Medicare and Medicated”. As
federal funded programs, Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 to deliver
healthcare to those over 65 years and above, and to the poor2. In the subsequent years, the
disabled, military personnel, veterans, and their dependent were included. Thus, at the
federal level the U.S government is the influential party and opinion leader. The national
health budget, reimbursement rates and the formulation of standards of knowing whose
patients are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid are all carried out at the federal level. The
state government is the influential party and opinion leader at the state level the. The
“regulatory and funding mechanism” are done by the state government. At the local level,
the state and federal government are the influential and opinion leaders.
The consistencies of healthcare delivering systems and public health with the
scripture lie in the fact that they both deliver healthcare to the population. Per the
scripture, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the
fatherless and windows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:27 (KJV). However, the inconsistencies are seen in the systems because they do
not deliver the healthcare to poor who really need healthcare.
References
1. Merson, M.H., Black, R.E., Mills, A.J. Global Health, Diseases, Programs,
Systems, and Policies. 3rd ed. Burlington.MA; Jones & Bartlett Learning, L.L.C
2012.
2. Niles JN. Basics of the U.S Health Care System. 2nd ed. Greenwood, SC:
Jones & Bartlett learning
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