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editor’s desk
“We spend our time
searching for security and
hate it when we get it.”
—
john steinbeck, america and americans
Every so often we experience a defining moment in life. The recent
appearance of the Ebola virus within the United States has created a
heightened awareness of our approach towards public health and our
resolve towards protecting the health of healthcare workers.
The CDC and its director, Thomas Frieden, MD, have been starkly criticized for the
agency’s apathetic response towards its containment policies and its view towards the
responsibility of healthcare workers and their compliance with procedures. The CDC has
been charged with the responsibility from the federal level to detect and respond to new
and emerging health threats. The response is coming.
About 10 years ago I worked for Thomas Frieden at New York City’s Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene. My general impression was Dr. Frieden was a straight-up guy who takes public health very
seriously. During that time, under Frieden’s leadership, New York City instituted smoking bans throughout
the City which appeared to many New Yorkers as an overreach of government’s involvement in public
health. The smoking ban model was later replicated by many cities and communities. So, my opinion is,
change is coming.
Public health is usually taken for granted until these types of situations arise. Then, we bring our focus to
the public health possibilities which range in reactions from possible concern to outright panic. The mission
of public health is to best gauge the truest possibilities and act on that likelihood with reasonableness.
We want enough protective measures without overshooting the mark with needless bureaucracy and
infringement of freedoms. This is a tough balancing act.
Healthcare organizations all across the country are reevaluating their infectious control protocols
to account for new and emerging threats such as Ebola. There aren’t many priorities for healthcare
organizations more important than protecting the health of healthcare workers.
Many healthcare organizations generally have held a “patients first” mantra. Healthcare workers have
always functioned with a controlled risk when dealing with patients. This will continue with a heightened
awareness towards threats of injury or infection. No place is perfect. But, we all know we can and should do
better. The new mantra will be “people first.”
There’s never a dull moment in healthcare. New and changing types of injury and illness inspire new and
changing treatments and policies. We are getting close to 20% of the GDP dedicated to healthcare. That means
much of the population is focused on improving the health of others. It’s not an easy task. And, considering
the risks, changes, and complexity of providing healthcare, I hope caregivers who are technically skilled and
care for our well-being understand the gratitude we have for the work they do.
Smith Hartley
Chief Editor
editor@healthcarejournalno.com