Question:

Unit 9 Assignment:
Public Health Strategic Plan
Unit Outcomes addressed in this Assignment:
• Differentiate among goals, measurable objectives, related activities, and expected outcomes for a public health initiatives, program, or projects.
• Leverage analytical techniques to plan a public health effort.
• Articulate an achievable mission, set of core values, and vision.
Course Outcomes assessed in this Assignment:
PU500-2: Discuss the decision-making process used to resolve a public health issue.
Introduction:
As you near the conclusion of this introductory public health course, there are certain emerging skills that you will demonstrate in a major project. These competencies relate to the decision-making process used by public health professionals. Therefore, for the Unit 9 Assignment, you will:
● Justify a decision to resolve a public health issue.
● Employ analytical processes to plan health initiatives.
● Construct an evidence-based strategic plan for public health efforts.
Your version of a public health strategic plan will consist of three fundamental parts.
Instructions:
PART 1: Defining the Health Issue
You will begin your strategic plan by defining a specific health issue. Imagine that you are a director or manager for a public health organization, and you will:
● Identify a health issue aligned with Health People 2020.
● Discover a specific health issue’s objective per the Healthy People 2020 planning site.
(Please note: You may use the objective that you had evaluated in Unit 3 or select a different objective.)
To demonstrate your ability to define a relevant public health issue, you will perform three skills:
1. Summarize the health topic/issue by magnitude, extent and at-risk populations/communities.
2. Review at least five authoritative sources relevant to the current health issue within a brief literature review.
3. Outline the fundamental importance of addressing the public health issue.
PART 2 – Evaluating the Health Issue (Refer to the detailed breakdown below.)
After gaining a foundational understanding of the health issue, you will:
● Utilize analytical techniques to evaluate ways to address the problem.
● Develop evidence to resolve the issue.
● Form the basis of an action plan.
To demonstrate your ability to evaluate a public health issue, you will perform three analytical techniques:
● Prepare a health problem analysis model for your public health issue.
● Conduct a force field analysis to identify barriers or supportive factors.
● Illustrate a fishbone diagram to highlight the underlying reasons for the problem.
PART 3 – Create a Strategic plan (Refer to the detailed breakdown below.)
With evidence to support the relevance and importance of your health issue (part 1) and analysis to highlight ways to resolve (part 2), you may now work toward forming a strategic plan. To complete part 3, you will:
● Define the public health VMOSA (i.e., vision, mission, objectives, strategies, and action plan) for your initiative, program, or project.
● Articulate a feasible timeline and necessary resources for each task in the action plan.
● Connect the public health initiative, program, or project with a stakeholder analysis.
Please collate parts 1, 2, and 3 into a Microsoft Word document in APA Style.
Grading Criteria
Be sure to review the grading rubric for this Assignment in the Course Home.
Submitting Your Work
You will submit your work in a Word document to the Dropbox. For directions on how to submit your work and review your graded Assignments, refer to the Dropbox Guide found on the Academic Tools tab. Make sure that you save a copy of your submitted work.
Detailed breakdown of Part 2:
● Section 2.1 – Health Problem Analysis: This section will require you to create a flow chart. If using Microsoft Office 365 (or 2016), you may use the “horizontal labeled hierarchy” SmartArt option, accessible from the “SmartArt” area of the “Insert” tab. You may find many resources on the Internet by searching for “Health Problem Analysis Model” or “Health Problem Analysis Worksheet” but here is a resource: http://www.orau.gov/cdcynergy/soc2web/Content/activeinformation/resources/SOC_health_problem_analysis_worksheet2.pdf. You should place your HP2020 objective as the “health problem” and populate the follow chart with risk factors and direct/indirect contributing factors. For your HP2020 objective, you should have 2 risk factors listed, 3 direct contributing factors per risk factor (6 total), and 3 indirect contributing factors per direct contributing factor (18 total). When you complete the flowchart, please be concise and remember to label the levels as “health problem,” “risk factors,” “direct contributing factors,” and “indirect contributing factors.” (This figure should take up about 1 page in length.)
● Section 2.2 – Force Field Analysis: Force field analysis is a very common technique to further understand the forces that affect a health issue. It is rather simple to complete too. See http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/force_field_analysis.pdf for more information. You may complete the force field analysis in Microsoft Word by using the various shapes available under the “Insert” tab. (This figure should take up about 1 page in length.)
● Section 2.3 – Fishbone Diagram: Fishbone diagram is a technique used to understand the “cause and effect” relationships across a system, organization, or community/population. See http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/opi/qi/toolbox/fishbone.html for more information. Create a Fishbone Diagram with your HP2020 as the “main problem” in the box of the Fishbone Diagram. Create at least 5 categories that diverge from the horizontal line. Finally, flesh out each category with at least 2 subcategories each. See example in the link provided for high-quality work. (This diagram should take up about 1 page in length.)
Detailed breakdown of Part 3:
Leaders must be able to apply strategic thinking as it relates to public health initiatives, interventions, or programs. Strategic thinking involves the ability to align efforts with an organization’s broader vision or mission. This will always require an evidence-based approach — the ability to make decisions based on tangible data rather than “whims” or “instinct” or what may seem like “common sense.” After completing part 2, you should have a keen understanding of using an evidence based approach.
In public health, you will often define the public health project’s vision, mission, objectives, strategies and action plan(s). This is sometimes abbreviated as VMOSA or strategic
planning. Strategic planning is a technique used in decision making and leadership within health organizations.
● Additionally, you may find this site helpful: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/vmosa/main
● To ensure that you have completed all parts of the VMOSA, please review this checklist: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/vmosa/checklist
● You may also conduct an Internet search (Google) with the keywords “Public Health VMOSA PDF .Gov” to find additional resources.
Sections of Part 3:
● Section 3.1 – Vision statement: You will participate in creating the vision statement for the proposed public health project. Vision statements are about the best possible outcome. This would be phrased as “where you want to end up.” See http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/vision-mission-statements/main for more information. Your vision statement should be introduced by a one-paragraph explanation on the context for the vision. This vision statement (i.e., short phrase or sentence) will then follow the explanation.
● Section 3.2 – Mission statement: The mission statement should convey the purpose of the project: “what” is going to get accomplished and “how” the project will be completed. See http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/vision-mission-statements/main for more information. Your mission statement should be about 1-2 sentences in length, with a preceding introductory paragraph explaining the mission.
● Section 3.3 – Objectives: The objectives are the means by which the mission and vision are achieved. See http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/create-objectives/main for more information. Public health project objectives can be behavioral, community-level outcome, or process oriented. Please create at least 6 objectives total, with at least 2 behavioral, 2 community-level outcome, and 2 process oriented objectives. Objectives should be preceded with an introductory paragraph. Each objective should use the S.M.A.R.T.+C approach as indicated in the Community Toolbox link. You should outline your objectives by orientation (behavioral, community-level, and process).
● Section 3.4 – Strategies: The strategies deployed in a public health project inform on the ways in which the objectives are met. Strategies may be broad or specific. Broad strategies usually entail larger concepts or tasks, such as health policy/advocacy, media campaigns, social marketing, community/neighborhood organizing, and building a coalition among community stakeholders. The broad strategies would require separate planning and smaller project management approaches. Specific strategies usually address a tactic to address a specific area of concern, such as particular policy changes, addressing health access or barriers, or providing health education/promotion efforts. Public health efforts should foster various strategies in meeting objectives. Therefore, provide a list of 4 strategies (one phrase or sentence
in length), with at least 2 broad strategies and 2 specific strategies. Your strategies should be preceded by an introductory paragraph. See
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/develop-strategies/main for more information. In particular, please ensure each strategy meets the criteria outlined in this web resource from the Community Toolbox.
● Section 3.5 – Action Plan: Your action plan will detail the specific inputs, process, outputs and results needed to support your public health initiative, intervention or project. See http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/strategic-planning/develop-action-plans/main for more information. Although this section can be lengthy, you will use a tabular approach as exemplified in this resource: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/operations/docs/sample-action-plan.pdf. Therefore, you will create a table with 9 columns: (1) Objective; (2) Strategy; (3) Action Step; (4) Responsible Party; (5) Anticipated Deadline; (6) Funding Needed; (7) Other Resources Needed; (8) Potential Barriers, Resistance, or Challenges; and (9) Potential Collaborators. Your table should contain at least 10 action steps. (Note: You do not need exact funding amounts, an estimate will suffice for this Assignment.)

Answer:

Introduction

The main aim of this assignment is the identification of the policy question that must be taken in consideration in giving response to a particular event of bioterrorism. The depiction of exercise of this scenario will make the participants able to understand and also experience the gaps and the shortcomings that are present in their ability to determine and give response to an incident and how an agency should respond actually. The most important thing about this exercise is that it should identify the policies which are required to give effective response to that scenario instead of using the policies that are already present. This addresses to those policies which requires development or clarification and which will be eventually helpful in the process of the strengthening the ultimate and overall system of response. This experience also identifies the areas in the operational procedures and policies which requires refinements.

Measurable objectives

The incidents affected the countries including cedar, pine, Dogwood, and Maple. The incidents have its beginning in the Cedar County approximately in the month of the August.

Cedar County- The entire population of Cedar County is 150,000 residents, the major cities of the Cedar County Watertown which has a population of about 40,000 residents. Two area hospitals are present there among them one is for the children hospital, several nursing homes and day care center are present in this area, the resident are given the service of the regional public water supply system. The health department of the Cedar County has staff strength of 70 employees. There is a full time director of the department of public health and a full time health officer (MD). An entire range of services of public health including community health nursing, environmental health, laboratory, and clinical public health services, are also provided.

Dogwood County- This country is in the north of the Cedar County and it has the 35,000 residents, multiple small water supplies, numerous water recreation areas, and a local health department having employee strength of 25 employees.

Pine County- This country is situated in the south of the Cedar County with a number of residents of 15,000. It is also called as the bedroom community of the Cedar Community. It gets the water supply from the water management system of the Cedar County and has a local health department which comprises of 14 employees (Jain, 2014).

Initiation of the Bioterrorist Attack on Food

First day-

Gastrointestinal illness strikes the country mainly presenting the patients list which has a tendency of the middle aged adults with about 10 percent of the patients over the age of 65. Approximately 30 peoples were seen in emergency department of the hospital at the end of the day. Most of the peoples were found to have similar and common symptoms like the severe diarrhea, chills, fever, head ache, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and bloody stools. Three people were hospitalized for different gastrointestinal complications and dehydration (Lee Daugherty Biddison et al., 2014).

Second day-

On the second day in the morning at around 10:00 am the numbers of patients were increasing continuously in the emergency room and in the urgent care centers. At this condition the number of the patients having similar symptoms is increased to 45. Then the health departments were given information about the situation. By noon the number of patient has been increased to 60. A meeting was held among the local health officers for making the decision of the next step. In the evening the health departments decides to starts the interviewing of the cases. The medical care providers from the Pine and the Dogwood Counties started to report a high number of patients complaining the same problem of gastrointestinal complications. By 5:00 pm the total number of patient taking all the three counties together is 75, seventeen samples of stool were taken and the number of people hospitalized is six. The hospital personnel confirm the news to the media that a large number of peoples were reported to have certain type of intestinal illness. At 5:00 pm, a member of a tour group from the Southeast Asia reported to the health department that out of 50 members of the group 35 were having severe problem of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. They all were taking their meal at a local restaurant in the local area for the past week.  This group was a non-English speaking tourist group. The main focus of the attention is being directed in the direction of the establishment of the food service in the three counties as the result of the interview data of the patients. Several numbers of establishments were identified where the interviewed patients have eaten or purchased food in the past week. Most of them were restaurant however some grocery stores are also being mentioned frequently.  Among the indentified restaurants twelve restaurant were present in the Cedar County and one in the Dogwood County and all the restaurant have an high volume and variety of customers. They includes well known, moderately priced, and national chain of restaurants to popular and high profile dining establishments. Many business leaders, company executives, and also the government officials often eat at these affected establishments of the city. Four of the establishments have ethnic food in the list of their service two of them are Mexican and the rest two are Asian. None of the establishments had any type of the violations of the foods from any unapproved sources. The three special grocery stores are highly popular and had huge turnover of the inventory of the foods and all are operated and owned by same organization.  Two of the grocery stores are in the Cedar County and the third is located in the Dogwood County. All the establishments of the food service are served by the public water supplies but from different water utilities. There were some cases in which the patients have not eaten at any of the identified thirteen restaurants. The results of the laboratory test were still not available to the health personnel and it would be available the next day (Halsted et al., 2014).

Third day

On the evening of the third day the laboratory results of the diagnostic test were in the hands of the health personnel and it indicates the causative agent was Shigella sonnei. This is water born infection and the disease caused by this organism is Shigellosis. The characteristic of this disease includes severe diarrhea which is most of the time accompanied with fever, headache, chills, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and possibly bloody stools. The incubation period of this organism is 1 to 7 days. Complication like dehydration along with this disease may result in the hospitalization of the patients. in that very evening of third day the city mayor received a message from the group of the extremist which states that they are responsible for the contamination of the food supply with the bacterial           agent. In the message the group threatens to continue the same thing unless the upcoming conference of the economic trade group representative is cancelled. This message was shared by the mayor to the director of the health department director and the chief of the police (Mitchell, 2014). The health officer then declares a public health emergency. The phone lines are thereafter jammed. The number of reported patients at this point was 400. 80 percent of the cases are from the largest country and the rest 20 percent was from the two adjacent countries. Thirty cases were hospitalized and five of them are in a serious condition. The affected range of the cases is from 4 to 87 years (Islam & Ryan, 2015).

Prevention and control of the disease

A substantial decline in the cases of these diseases has been observed in the past decades. Death rate, hospitalization cases, and health care cost associated with the vaccine- preventable diseases have been seen to decrease.

The strategic plan that should be developed to avoid this type of Bioterrorist Attack on Food is as follows:

Improvements should be done in the local and state health infrastructure. With this there should be an improvement in the targeted prevention and innovative efforts which will yield significant progress in the process of the disease infection control. Advancement in the major laboratory technology and techniques must be incorporated. There should be improved surveillance upon the capacity to identify the foods which are contaminated and the further spread can be accurately and rapidly prevented. The diagnosis of the diseases should be made easier and earlier so that life saving treatment and care can be given to the person having infection and also they should be given the essential information so that they can aware their partners and other family members about the disease and thus protect them. Improvement in the endorsement and technology of the uniform screening of the newborn panel of different diseases should be done so that we be always equipped with the intervention and treatment of additional newborns diseases which could be fatal threat to mankind.

Reference

Halsted, D. D., Clifton, S. C., & Wilson, D. T. (2014). Library as Safe Haven: Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery; A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. American Library Association.

Islam, T., & Ryan, J. (2015). Hazard Mitigation in Emergency Management. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Jain, R. (Ed.). (2014). Drinking Water Security for Engineers, Planners, and Managers: Integrated Water Security Series. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Lee Daugherty Biddison, M. D., Berkowitz, K. A., Brooke Courtney, J. D., De Jong, C. M. J., Devereaux, A. V., Kissoon, N., … & Christian, M. D. (2014). Ethical Considerations. CHEST, 146(4_Suppl), e145S-e155S.

Mitchell, C. W. (2014). Travels Through American History in the Mid-Atlantic: A Guide for All Ages. JHU Press.