DVIDS – News – NHB public health team efforts to prepare, respond and recover

They are a doctor, detective, and defense attorney all rolled into one.

They react to ominous headlines, from a possible outbreak of meningitis to a possible outbreak of measles to a possible resurgence of tuberculosis.

They are public health officers in the U.S. Navy.

While National Public Health Week was officially recognized from April 7th to 13th, 2024, public health personnel assigned to NHB will be required to attend public health weeks to respond to public health emergencies and public health threats. We remain focused on public protection measures, including preparedness, response, and recovery.

“Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, optimizing health, promoting healthy behaviors, and engaging communities in learning through a variety of services. from research on environmental factors that affect human health, to occupational health to support safe workplaces, to population health with a focus on disease prevention and reducing health disparities,” explained the commander. Carolyn Ellison, NHB Director of Public Health;

NHB's public health team provides a comprehensive range of services, including preventive medicine, audiology and hearing protection, industrial hygiene, radiological health, occupational health, and health and wellness support resources.

“In the operational environment supporting our nation's commanders and warfighters, public health officers ensure the health protection of their forces by identifying and preparing for health threats that service members may face during their military missions. ” said the commander. Brian Legendre, Head of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Officer, NHB. “Optimal public health in the military is achieved through the efforts of a diverse team of public health professionals, including environmental health officers, industrial health, public health nurses, and safety specialists.

Missions conducted by Mr. Legendre's preventive medicine team in 2023 included completing approximately 760 health and safety inspections, over 80 child development home/child development center inspections, and over 1,510 completed water samples. included. They collected about 650 mosquito samples. It also conducted 31 ship health certificate inspections and administered approximately 13,300 COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations.

According to NHB Population Health Officer and Public Health Emergency Officer Dr. Dan Fredrick, everyone benefits from public health efforts.

“Our target audience is everyone. But if you break it down into two major groups, it's the naval fleet and all the other beneficiaries. The rest of the non-military/civilian community, 3. There is also a second group. The healthier we are, the less we will transmit the disease to members of the civilian community,” Frederick said.

Ellison, Frederick, and Legendre all assert that the importance of public health cannot be underestimated.

“Because it will lead to significant improvements in the quality and length of life for members of our communities. Simple examples include better management of local water sanitation and access to safe and effective vaccinations for large numbers of people. Consider the positive impact that promoting vaccination against diseases can have on our lives. Public health agencies identify health disparities and help everyone live the healthiest life possible. We are working on programs to ensure opportunities,” Frederick said.

“An estimated 25 of the 30 years of increase in life expectancy during the 20th century were due to public health measures such as vaccines, motor vehicle safety, infectious disease prevention, and maternal and child health,” Ellison said, quoting the Centers for Disease Control. he added. and prevention statistics.

The role of public health agencies to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during the 2020-2022 pandemic period was to continue efforts to protect ourselves from infectious diseases and viruses. There's a reason why smallpox and polio no longer ravage the population.

“Diseases such as measles, mumps, and tetanus were once common in the United States and could become common again without public health measures,” Legendre stressed.

Challenges remain for public health workers to support others in their efforts to help themselves.

“It can be difficult to convince people of the most highly recommended course of action for their own and their families' health. Thanks in large part to widely open social media platforms, we have become increasingly cynical and skeptical. and overcoming misinformation from the public,” Frederick said.

NHB's other public health functions include the Hearing Conservation and Audiology Clinic, which last year alone provided services to more than 40,000 registered participants to prevent work-related hearing loss and improve health care preparedness; It will be.

NHB's industrial hygiene team supports more than 30,000 workers across Naval Region Northwest, encompassing 126 unique commands including 480 different stores, and helps prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. IH research is needed to predict, recognize, and assess occupational stressors to help reduce and reduce stress.

The NMRTC Bremerton Detachment Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Clinic supports the command of 16,000 employees and 13 tenants throughout the shipyard through medical surveillance and accreditation assessments. This detachment is home to the Department of the Navy's largest occupational health clinic. The clinic is also home to the Department of Defense's largest radiological health program and has been cited as the “gold standard” by audits by Naval Sea Systems Command and the Naval Medical and Surgical Service.

NHB Public Health Occupational Health personnel care for approximately 10,000 employees through medical surveillance and certification testing at U.S. Coast Guard, Air Force, and Army installations, as well as numerous Navy commands.

Another active and energetic component of NHB public health is the promotion of lifelong healthy behaviors and lifestyles, and the provision of innovative, evidence-based solutions to staff and all targeted beneficiaries. A health promotion and wellness center that provides health education resources and tools.