Public health resources

Public Health Organizations

• AMA Council on Science and Public Health
  The Council offers reports on numerous public health topics.
• The Joint Commission (TJC): Learn about national patient safety goals, practices, and solutions. Also view sentinel event alerts and performance measures.
• Center for Public Health Preparedness and Disaster Response
• American Association of Public Health Physicians
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
  APHA and its state affiliates represent over 50,000 health professionals and others who work to promote health, prevent disease and ensure conditions in which we all can be safe and healthy.
• The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR)
  APTR is a professional organization for the academic medical and public health community dedicated to prevention research and inter-professional education.

Residency Rotation Opportunities

• Health Policy Residency Rotation
  APTR offers continuing field placements for Preventive Medicine and Primary Care residents with demonstrated interest in public health/health policy experience at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Fellowship Programs

• The Association for Prevention and Research Fellowships
  APTR fellowships give recent graduates and early career professionals an opportunity to work in public health and preventive medicine interest areas. Fellows gain leadership experience and train with leading experts in the fields of prevention and public health.
• Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) Internship and Fellowship Programs
  ASPH manages several regular internship and fellowship programs throughout the year.

Research Grants

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
  AHRQ sponsors the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award and the Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award in health services research. Support is provided for the development of outstanding clinician research scientists who are committed to a career in health services research, with a focus on development as an independent scientist.

Public Health Service Positions

• The US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is an elite team of more than 6,000 full-time, well-trained, highly qualified public health professionals dedicated to delivering the Nation's public health promotion and disease prevention programs and advancing public health science. Driven by a passion for public service, these men and women serve on the frontlines in the Nation's fight against disease and poor health conditions.
• Centers for Disease Control Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service is a unique, two-year postgraduate program of service and on-the-job training for health professionals interested in the practice of epidemiology. Every year, CDC's EIS Program selects 70–80 persons from among the nation's top health professionals to enter the EIS and pursue on-the-job training in applied epidemiologic skills. EIS Officers play a major role in the implementation of CDC's mission of preventing disease and injury and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Public Health Credentialing

• Certified Health Education Specialist Accreditation
  The National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. is the only credentialing agency certifying education professionals. Their comprehensive professional preparation and continuing education requirements ensure that Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) are qualified in every aspect of the profession. The CHES examination is a competency-based tool used to measure possession, application and interpretation of knowledge in the Areas of Responsibility for health educators delineated by A Competency-Based Framework for Health Educators 2006.

Additional Public Health and Patient Safety Resources

• Eliminating health disparities: AMA Initiatives
• Roadmaps for Clinical Practice series: Population-Based Medicine
  Introduces the concept of population-based medicine as a strategy for reducing health disparities and integrating disease prevention and health promotion into routine medical care.
• Obesity & Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity
• Educating Physicians on Controversies in Health
  Brief Web streaming program series to inform physicians about the challenges and controversies at the interface of clinical medicine and public health and to offer possible strategies to address these issues in their practices. Issues include quarantine, obesity, avian flu, uninformed consent, language barriers, STI vaccines, etc.
• Information on infectious diseases
• Adolescent health

Physicians in Geriatric health

• Dementia
  Information about diagnosis, family caregiving and safety issues.
• Medical Management of the Home Care Patient: Guidelines for Physicians (PDF, 870KB)
  A guide promoting home care as a collaborative effort between the patient, physician and family with the goal of maintaining the patient's maximal level of comfort, function, and health.
• Environmental Geriatrics: Improving Function & Safety
  Environmental Geriatrics is the study and application of design principles to interiors and products to optimize the health, function, and well-being of older adults. (This link will take you off the AMA Web site)

RFS Health Care Education Initiative: Use the following presentations to educate yourselves and others on important health care topics.

• Health Literacy: Breaking Barriers (PDF, 147KB)
• Tobacco Use: Youth and Young Adults Presentation (PDF, 166KB) & Notes Page (PDF, 16KB)
• Obesity (PDF, 1159KB)
• Patient Safety (PDF, 522KB)
• Medicaid Made Simple (PDF, 153KB)