The reinvigoration of public health nursing: methods and innovations.
Los Angeles County (LAC) restructured and reinvigorated public health in response to nationwide concern over the adequacy of all public health infrastructures and functions. LAC's reorganization into geographically defined service planning areas (SPAs) has facilitated the integration of core public health functions into local practice. Public health nurses practicing as generalists within their SPA identified three initial objectives to address in population-based care: (1) expanding practice beyond disease control to a more holistic approach, (2) providing consultation using the Ask-the-Nurse innovation, and (3) developing a community assessment database for interdisciplinary SPA health planning. Additional innovative objectives are planned for the future.
Avila
Margaret
M
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Public Health Nursing, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Smith
Kathleen
K
D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D015141:Los Angeles; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011635:Public Health Administration; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends