was released, setting out health goals for the nation. Every 10 years, this initiative is
reviewed and updated. The most recent report, Healthy People 2020, was released the
fall of 2011. This ongoing work documents the evolving nature of public health through
the systematic use of overarching goals, topics, and objectives that facilitate action.
(Healthy People 2020, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). The
Healthy People 2020 initiative lists new objectives in the area of preparedness that
were based on the national priorities set out in the National Health Security Strategy
(NHSS) presented earlier. In addition, each of these objectives is clarified by illustrating
interventions and resources available to achieve preparedness.
Figure 1: Three Core Functions of Public Health and Ten Essential Public Health Services
Reprinted with permission:
Truglio-Londrigan, M., & Lewenson, S. B. (2011). What is public health and public health nursing.
In M. Truglio-Londrigan & S. B. Lewenson (Eds.), Public health nursing: Practicing population
based care (pp. 1-19), Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services–Public Health Functions Steering Committee.
(1994). The public health workforce: An agenda for the 21st Century.
Institute of Medicine [IOM]. (1988). The future of public health. Washington, DC: National
Academy press.
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