Background & History

OUR INFORMATION

The Partnership for Public Health values collaboration to solve complex challenges impacting our community, effectiveness in addressing these challenges, and inclusion of all populations in Lancaster.

MYTHS & FACTS

about public health

MYTH

A local public health department would add another layer of government.

FACT

A local department would streamline public health services by consolidating into one local office the services currently offered through three separate state-level departments – Health, Agriculture, and Environmental

MYTH

Public health’s role is to provide medical services for those who cannot afford health insurance.

FACT

The public health role is to protect the community from health threats by preventing, identifying, investigating and eliminating possible threats, and coordinating existing services to assure and effective local response to emergent local public health concerns.

MYTH

In the event of a health crisis, the county’s emergency management agency and local hospitals would manage the situation.

FACT

In the absence of a local department, the Pennsylvania Department of Health would be in charge, managing the crisis in Lancaster, as well as across the State, from their offices in Harrisburg.

MYTH

A local department would increase taxes for everyone.

FACT

A tax increase is not needed. 85% of a community health department would be paid for by State funds allocated by law for local health departments, Federal and State grants and tax dollars or fees that we are already paying.

MYTH

A local health department would add scrutiny to environmental laws so that farmers would encounter new barriers.

FACT

A local health department would continue the current practice of involving local farmers in complaint resolution. It would use local employees to uphold existing laws and would follow the lead set by Federal and State Government.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

on the importance of public health

QUESTION

Doesn’t Lancaster already have a public health department?

ANSWER

Not a locally governed and administered one. Currently the PA Departments of Health, Agriculture, and Environmental Protection provide public health services from their local and regional offices. They provide most of the essential services mandated by law, but admit that they are short staffed and unable to do all that could be done to promote public health.