Business Skills in Public Health, Coursework Example

• Summary of main points contained in the articles

Thomas, A., & Ward, E. (2006). Peer power: How Dare County, North Carolina, is addressing chronic disease through innovative programming. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 462–467

This article is about an innovative school-based program known as “Peer Power” whose main purpose is to train high school students as health educators and mentors for middle school students. This program was mainly initiated to produce a positive health behavior change in youth especially those who reside in North Carolina and reduce long term incident of chronic diseases of the heart and lung associated with tobacco abuse (Thomas, & Ward, 2006).

Mims, S. (2006). A sustainable behavioral health program integrated with public health primary care. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 458–461.

This article is dealing with the behavioral healthcare program for the poor and indigent in rural North Carolina. Behavioral healthcare program was founded by Buncombe county Health Centre (BCHC) with the intention of providing mental health screening and treatment as part of primary care service to the poor and indigent. The program was a response to mental health need in the community to improve the patient’s heath. (Mims, 2006).

Both programs addressed in the articles are succeeding because the involved parties have employed essential business skills. Return on investments is key in this programs, for instance, the programs have demonstrated a positive return on investment not only on income generation from the investment but also on achieving improving health care. Long term measures have been put in place to help generate revenue for the programs which include, grants from financial organizations, website subscription and offering consultancy services to the community for pay. Peer power program has a very good social marketing strategy which has made the program become popular among high school students, parents and the community at large. The marketing strategy has helped in changing the youth behavior. “Never underestimate the power of your peers” and “Miles of Smiles” slogans have really done wonders for the program popularity. Besides the programs initial intention of providing improved health care services to the community, they also need to generate income so as to sustain themselves in the long run. Training the staff members at management academy is one way of mentoring them in developing entrepreneurship skills. Also programs like offering consultative services, curriculum sales, re investing revenue and identifying the health need of the community and providing it affordably are important entrepreneurship skills (Mims, 2006).

• In your view, were the business skills applied effectively in the situations described in the articles? Justify your position. Yes

Business skills were well applied according to the situations described in the article. Initially the programs did not focus on revenue generation but on providing the need and making the programs popular. Since the programs were new they depended on grants which are one of reliable sources of finance for business. Marketing skills were suburb where the motto referred to the target group. “Never underestimate the power of your peers” targeted the youth. As well the program was run by the youth. Business planning in the articles is well, the projects are divided into phases, and objectives are prioritized (Thomas, & Ward, 2006).

• In your experiences so far with public health organizations, identify an example in which business skills were used poorly

In my experience I have witnessed very many incidences where business skills have been used poorly. One is where some organizations begin programs like community services without; calculating the cost, not having the plan, and lacking necessary expertise. Such organizations have often failed to meet the desired goals and even created more harm than help.

Reference

Thomas, A., & Ward, E., (2006). Peer power: How Dare County, North Carolina, is addressing chronic disease through innovative programming. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 462–467 http://www.maph.unc.edu/jphmp/PHH12_5_10_462-467.pdf

Mims, S. (2006). A sustainable behavioral health program integrated with public health primary care. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 12(5), 458–461 http://www.maph.unc.edu/jphmp/PHH12_5_09_456-461.pdf