Using the “Ten Essential Public Health Services” Framework to Support Program Services Coordination and Integration

Background:  Program collaboration and services integration can bring together programs previously separated by disease, funding, and cultural “silos”.   Lack of a common framework can hamper coordination efforts.

Objectives: To implement a common framework for direction-setting and monitoring for historically divergent programs within the Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration

Methods:  In Fall 2011, a Strategic Planning Process was undertaken for activities carried out by the Centers for STI Prevention, TB Prevention, HIV Prevention, HIV Care Services, Immigrant Health, and HIV Surveillance and Epidemiology..  A non-disease-specific paradigm was sought for a strategic planning exercise.   The “Ten Essential  Public Health Services”,  designed in 1994 to apply across  public health  disciplines,  was selected.   Each Center drafted  “What we do now”, “What we should do”, and “What do we need to do to get there” for each  function.  Small work groups with representatives from each center developed cross-center priorities for assigned functions, which will be further prioritized by the Centers’ Leadership Team.  On-going cross-center coordination teams will be established Winter 2012 based on identified priorities.

Results: Program staff identified commonalities across program lines, and identified areas for future collaboration.  Program staff expressed new awareness of and appreciation for the work of other programs, found opportunities for coordination in ongoing work, and developed a common language

Conclusions: The Ten Essential Public Health Services can be a useful tool for integration of STI, HIV, Viral Hepatitis and TB programs. 

Implications for Programs, Policy, and Research: Using the Ten Essential Public Health Services framework can help unify and focus the integration of STI, HIV, Viral Hepatitis and TB functions