Tag Archives: public health departments

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the SAMHSA?

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA is an agency that separates mental health from physical health.

What does the SAMHSA actually do for mental health and substance abuse patients in the US? The answer is, “nothing directly” – however, indirectly, SAMHSA has had a profound impact on behavioral health patients, and the result has not always been positive, as you can read in my blog post.

Four Levels of Intervention for Public Health: How to Apply This Framework

Four levels of public health interventions should be addressed when dealing with public health problems.

Four levels of intervention is a framework we use in public health to think about how to attack a problem. I explain it and give a few examples of application in my blog post (along with a video).

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the HRSA?

Local health departments are funded by HRSA which provides grants to them to help them with community health

“What is the HRSA?” can be answered two ways: with a short answer, and a long answer. The short answer is that it is the agency that funds public health departments in the United States. The long answer, which I unpack in my blog post, is more nuanced, harrowing, and ultimately, depressing.

Querying the GHDx Database: Demonstration and Review of Application

Many data scientists interested in health are looking to query the Global Burden of Disease database, also known as the GHDx

Querying the GHDx database is challenging because of its difficult user interface, but mastering it will allow you to access country-level health data for comparisons! See my demonstration!

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the DHHS?

The Department of Health and Human Services in the United States is also called DHHS and HHS, and is the top level department with a mission of ensuring healthcare delivery in the US.

My answer to, “What is the DHHS?” is, “A failed department”, but it is important to examined exactly what they have failed at, and how.

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the CMS?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are known as CMS, and manage the public insurance system at the federal level in the United States.

You might wonder what CMS – the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – actually does. This blog post provides an overview of CMS’s role and activity in the US healthcare system.

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the CEPH?

The Council on Education for Public Health accredits public health educational schools and programs in colleges

What is the CEPH, and how does it relate to the other organizations in US public health? This blog post explains the history and function of the CEPH, and how it connects to the rest of Big Public Health in the US.

Data for Meta-analysis Need to be Prepared a Certain Way – Here’s How

This is the forrest plot resulting from analysis with open source statistical software R using package rmeta.

Getting data for meta-analysis together can be challenging, so I walk you through the simple steps I take, starting with the scientific literature, and ending with a gorgeous and evidence-based Forrest plot!

US Public Health Alphabet Soup Explained: What is the APHA?

The American Public Health Association is the professional society for the occupation of public health rather than healthcare.

Curious about the American Public Health Association (APHA) – what it does, and where it fits into the bigger picture of public health organizations? I delve into these topics, and explain how you can get involved.

Does the PDSA Model Work? Part 3 of 5

Quality assurance and improvement specialists wonder whether the Plan Do Study Act model works or not

The Plan-Do-Study-Act model is promoted for quality assurance/quality improvement in healthcare. But does it have any peer-reviewed evidence base behind it? I examine that in this blog post.

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