Public health and public health nursing are the center of a quality health care
system and the most cost effective system for disease prevention and health improvement.
Public health is also our first line of defense in responding to natural and man-made
disasters.
Washington’s public health system is in jeopardy due to decades of neglect and erosion
in public health spending. The ability of our local public health department
to perform core functions has already been greatly reduced. Further cuts in the
public health system will exacerbate the growing crisis in health care leading to
far higher costs and more illness in the future. I urge you to help safeguard the
public health safety net that we all rely on:
- Protect Local Public Health Capacity and Funding by ‘Doing No Harm” and Maintaining
Governor’s budget funding levels for FY 09-10 Supplemental Budget.
- Support Dedicated Revenue for Local Public Health by passing dedicated funding for
local public health programs.
- “Buy Back” Maternal Support Services to Maintain Health Promotion for Vulnerable
Populations by supporting Governor’s proposed buy-back of Maternal Support Services.
Public health and public health nurses are a core component of our health care system,
a system that we all count on to deal with such urgent issues as bioterrorism, disaster
preparedness, food and water supply safety, and emerging diseases such as H1N1,
West Nile virus and tuberculosis.
The important role of public health nurses and nursing services is recognized in
law: “The legislature further finds that public health nurses and nursing services
are an essential part of our public health system delivering evidence-based care
and providing core services including prevention of illness, injury, or disability,
the promotion of health, and maintenance of the health of populations.”
Maintaining core funding for our public health system must be a top priority!
