Building Momentum Toward A Fully Funded State Public Health System
Abstract
With strategic investment and thoughtful policy solutions, our state’s public health system is well-positioned to help tackle some of the most seemingly intractable health issues. However, for decades, state policymakers have disinvested in Georgia’s public health system. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the Georgia Department of Public Health accounts for a mere $400 million in state spending—or about six percent of the total state investment in its three primary health agencies. Georgia faces a choice: continue to allow the state public health system to weaken or move in a new direction that builds upon its strengths. Because public health often works community by community rather than person by person and focuses on preventive measures, return on investment is sometimes difficult to quantify. The value and role of public health is widely misunderstood by policymakers and the general public alike. Many stalwart and powerful public health advocates are disease- or program-specific and focus on advocating for budget line items for HIV/AIDs, cancer prevention, home visiting, etc. While that advocacy is critical, there is a need for a broader public health budget movement that supports creating a sustainable public health infrastructure—from a diverse, well-trained, stable workforce to a nimble, actionable data systems—and re-imagining the role state public health system can play in addressing the social determinants of health. In this workshop, the presenter will share research findings that outline current and historical barriers limiting state public health’s success and highlight public health infrastructure ‘wins’ from other states. Then we, as a group, we will do an iterative, interactive brainstorm to answer the question “How might we transform Georgia’s state public health system?”.
Keywords
budget; policymaking; public health infrastructure
Building Momentum Toward A Fully Funded State Public Health System
With strategic investment and thoughtful policy solutions, our state’s public health system is well-positioned to help tackle some of the most seemingly intractable health issues. However, for decades, state policymakers have disinvested in Georgia’s public health system. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the Georgia Department of Public Health accounts for a mere $400 million in state spending—or about six percent of the total state investment in its three primary health agencies. Georgia faces a choice: continue to allow the state public health system to weaken or move in a new direction that builds upon its strengths. Because public health often works community by community rather than person by person and focuses on preventive measures, return on investment is sometimes difficult to quantify. The value and role of public health is widely misunderstood by policymakers and the general public alike. Many stalwart and powerful public health advocates are disease- or program-specific and focus on advocating for budget line items for HIV/AIDs, cancer prevention, home visiting, etc. While that advocacy is critical, there is a need for a broader public health budget movement that supports creating a sustainable public health infrastructure—from a diverse, well-trained, stable workforce to a nimble, actionable data systems—and re-imagining the role state public health system can play in addressing the social determinants of health. In this workshop, the presenter will share research findings that outline current and historical barriers limiting state public health’s success and highlight public health infrastructure ‘wins’ from other states. Then we, as a group, we will do an iterative, interactive brainstorm to answer the question “How might we transform Georgia’s state public health system?”.
