Kara Richardson • November 5, 2013
As the nation prepares itself for the implementation and impact of the Affordable Care Act, public health professionals gathered in Boston to share their latest research findings at the 141st Annual APHA Meeting and Expo. Center director, Dr. Glen Mays, presented his findings from a new study on the relationship between public health funding and rates of infant mortality and deaths due to preventable diseases. The research clearly aligns with the focus of the 2013 meeting to "address current and emerging health science, policy and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health."
Return on investment, cost-benefit analysis, comparative effectiveness research, and resource allocation are phrases commonly heard in today's public health community. Evidence-based research is needed to inform practice and initiate policy change and Dr. Mays' study provides insight on how targeted funding to high-need, low-resource communities can reduce the number of deaths due to preventable conditions.
Read more about the study in the Public Health Newswire or the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's blog, NewPublicHealth.org.