Focus is on health of communities and people
What is public health, and why is it so important? These two straightforward questions are not so quickly answered. Historically, past initiatives related to public health have promoted the health and well-being of the population yielding prevention of communicable diseases, healthier living conditions and longer life expectancies. For example, infectious diseases like measles and smallpox, documented as early as 910, led to untimely deaths of the young and old alike.
However, through dedicated researchers like Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur and others, antitoxins and vaccines were developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to prevent diphtheria, tetanus, anthrax, cholera, plague, typhoid and tuberculosis and ultimately resulted in the eradication of smallpox.
At the same time, America experienced advances in public sanitation with the proper disposal of waste and the promotion of clean drinking water. Public health initiatives lay a solid foundation for enhancing the health and well-being of the population, resulting in longer, healthier life expectancies.
Today, researchers and agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strive to discover additional measures that promote the population’s health. For example, in 1945, water fluoridation began in Michigan to prevent dental cavities. This one public health measure, now practiced throughout the United States, has been identified by the CDC as one of the most outstanding public health achievements of the 20th century. Additional public health initiatives include family planning, immunizations, motor vehicle safety, safer and healthier foods, tobacco as a health hazard and workplace safety.
While many of us have benefited from these advances in public health throughout history, we must recognize our current public health situation related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, countless researchers, health-care providers, and local, state, national and international agencies have worked tirelessly to break the cycle of this disease by preventing the spread and associated loss of life.
The pandemic has been costly, not only in lives lost but in unforeseen workforce attrition from retirements and individuals leaving the fields of public health and medicine. In May 2021, the U.S. White House announced plans to invest $7.4 billion from the American Rescue Plan to recruit and train public-health workers.
Fortunately, LSU Health Shreveport and LSUS joined forces to develop the LSUS/LSUHS Master of Public Health (MPH) Program in 2006. What began as a small program has since expanded into a driving force for workforce development, increasing in size from 23 students to 110 currently enrolled. This 42-credit-hour program allows individuals to obtain an MPH in the traditional classroom setting or via a 100% online educational experience. The curriculum is grounded in the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH) foundational knowledge area and competencies, whereby receiving full CEPH accreditation in 2021. As part of its rich curriculum, faculty and students can give back through research and volunteering their time in the community.
Public health is a science that focuses on the health of communities and their people. One of the most critical roles of public health is disease prevention and health promotion to improve the health of our communities with limited access to health care. One approach to achieve this goal is through community outreach. The first step to effective community outreach is identifying the community’s needs. Dr. Deborah Smith, an assistant professor at LSU Health Shreveport in the public health program, has been working to improve the health and well-being of underserved and disadvantaged populations in North Louisiana.
In 2021, when the COVID-19 vaccine was first made available to the public, Dr. Smith participated in health fairs and city events to bring awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine and the importance of getting the vaccine. In 2022, Dr. Smith began a study to understand the longterm impacts of COVID-19 among the Latino population in Northwest Louisiana. The goal of this research was to identify specific health disparities among this population, hoping to develop further health-care initiatives directed at reducing health inequality in the community and improving the health and well-being of the people. In her words, “Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Latinos is critical to guide efforts in reducing health inequity.”
She also began networking with other Latino community leaders. She helped form Resources Access Services Association or RASA. This organization advocates for the unmet needs of Latinos in Shreveport, La., of which she is currently on the board of directors.
In addition to her research and efforts to develop public health initiatives for the Latino population, she has also advocated for women’s health in rural areas of North Louisiana. Dr. Smith noticed an increased prevalence of HPV and cervical cancer in Louisiana and hypothesized this was due to a lack of access to women’s health care, low literacy and lack of knowledge. This research project involves Dr. Smith traveling to rural areas across Louisiana with a Mobile Health Unit bus to deliver mammograms and HPV screening to communities without or with limited access to such tests.
Public health has impacted humankind for centuries and will continue to do so. Because of this field, many individuals and communities can live healthier, fuller lives.
Dr. Jill Rush-Kolodzey, MD, MPH, DrPH, is the program director of public health at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions. Dr. Deborah Smith, BSN, MPH, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of public health at the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions.
