The Cross-sector Innovation Initiative (CSII) environmental scan compiles key findings from a literature review, secondary data analysis and key informant interviews on cross-sector collaboration between the public health, healthcare and social services sectors. Findings highlight the roles that different sectors can play in collaboration, a continuum of collaboration and factors that facilitate or impede cross-sector […]
This article describes the results of a 2011 national online and written survey of the composition and duties of local boards of health in the United States. Responses were received from 363 boards of health in 35 states and described the boards’ demographics, roles and responsibilities, orientation and training, and concerns and needs. Available online: […]
This article discusses the current state of public health finance research through a review of public health finance literature. It chronicles important lessons learned from public health finance research to date, discusses the challenges faced by those seeking to conduct financial research on the public health system, and discusses the role of public health finance […]
This article provides a case review describing the creation of a single incident management team by five independent local public health agencies to respond to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Available online: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21135658
Public health practitioners and researchers often refer to state public health systems as being centralized, decentralized, shared, or mixed. These categories refer to governance of the local public health units within the state and whether they operate under the authority of the state government, local government, shared state and local governance, or a mix of […]
Local government managers are described as key participants in the development of interlocal cooperation, but the interests of city councils in this process have gone largely unstudied. Here, the author addresses the theoretical importance of council-manager relations in interlocal public service cooperation. The evidence refines assumptions about council-manager roles in the formation of cooperative agreements, […]
This systematic review provides a synthesis of the growing field of public health systems research related to the structure and organization of state and local governmental public health agencies. It includes an overview of research examining the influence of organizational characteristics on public health performance and health status and a summary of the strengths and […]
This report, from the Task Force for Improving Public Health in Portage County (Ohio), presents the culmination of the first phase of an initiative to strengthen the public health system in Portage County. Slenkovich, K., Boulter, J., & Budnik, A. (2012). Improving Public Health in Portage County. Kent, OH: Kent State University, College of Public […]
This website is dedicated to connecting research to practice by helping public sector executives and managers improve the effectiveness of government with practical ideas and original thinking. Available online: http://www.businessofgovernment.org/
This article examines the relationship between organizational structure and authority of local public health directors based on data collected from Minnesota local health directors. It illustrates that emerging practice-based research networks can successfully collaborate on small-scale research projects with immediate application for systems development. Study findings are reportedly being used by local public health officials […]