This is an interesting topic. In my opinion, alignment within and between the medical and public health workforce is somewhat tenuous, though less so during a crisis as we're seeing. This divide stems from the diversity within each field. Public health encompasses systems theory, sociology, psychology, policy, advocacy, community health, and more traditional areas such as epidemiology, biostats, health promotion. Medical education is equally diverse in terms of specialty. As such, it may be helpful to view this issue through a systems schema. Talcott Parson's AGIL theory would have us look at the forms of adaptation, goal attainment, integration, or latent pattern maintenance within systems and subsystems to determine where medical education and public health are best aligned. In contrast to self-sufficient totipotential systems, we may want to identify partipotential systems that are partially self-sufficient and reliant on exchanges with other systems. Here I have in mind our primary care specialties. Finally, the principles of behavioral sociology could be applied to study reinforcements or contingencies on why systems behave the way they do, with such insight enabling better informed policy proposals.
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Christopher Williams
PhD Student, Behavorial and Community Health
University of Maryland at College Park
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2020 14:47
From: Olufunmilayo Makinde
Subject: Did You Know? Humble origin of the CDC
Hi Philip!
Thanks for sharing. Humble beginnings, indeed. I definitely wasn't aware but share the same sentiments of gratitude for their long-standing role in helping protect the public's health.
For me, it's been wonderful to see increasing alignment between the medical and public health workforce. Truthfully (and maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here), l often wonder about non-traditional ways to leverage or strengthen this alignment, particularly with a rapidly changing societal landscape and more public attention to key health issues like climate change.
Curious as to what comes to mind for others? @Karey Sutton @Christopher Williams @Heather-Lyn Haley
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Olufunmilayo Makinde
Health Equity Research Analyst
Association of American Medical Colleges
Original Message:
Sent: 03-13-2020 10:49
From: Philip Alberti
Subject: Did You Know? Humble origin of the CDC
On July 1, 1946, the Communicable Disease Center (as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was then known) opened its doors and occupied one floor of a small building in Atlanta. Its primary mission was simple yet highly challenging: prevent malaria from spreading across the nation. Armed with a budget of only $10 million and fewer than 400 employees, the agency's early challenges included obtaining enough trucks, sprayers, and shovels necessary to wage war on mosquitoes. Now, of course, the CDC is the nation's powerhouse public health agency. I'm grateful for their steadfast work and appreciate the opportunities we have at the AAMC to align the medical and public health workforce in so many ways.
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Philip Alberti
Senior Director, Health Equity Research and Policy
Association of American Medical Colleges
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