Medical care refers to the procedures that patients undergo in healthcare settings. Some of the processes include diagnosis, receiving primary care, and therapeutic interventions (Fineberg, 2011, n.p). These procedures are performed by health providers such as doctors and nurses. Public health involves preserving the safety and health of people in various ways. It entails the promotion of better human health through education programs, policies, and research activities. Public health does not rely on medical care as the only means of improving the health of a community. Other determinants such as socioeconomic status, level of education, and the environment impact health outcomes. Thus, medical care, alongside public health, plays an integral role in promoting wellness in society.

Medical care and public health function as independent elements. However, they share a similar goal. The primary role of both entities is to cater for public health improvement (Koo, Felix, Dankwa-Mullan, Miller, & Waalen, 2012, n.p). Public health has contributed to the realization of the objective through preventive measures. Primary care, on the other hand, functions through therapeutic approaches. Thus, the two elements hold different perspectives and have remained distinct for an extended period. While healthcare providers in the hospital setting focus on an individual patient, public health official prioritizes on the welfare of the entire community. The activities of participants in either capacity complement each other since they contribute to better human health outcomes. For instance, treating patients’ illness and initiating measures to minimize or prevent future infection lead to reduced mortality and morbidity rates in society. Therefore, both medical care and public health are equally essential in health care provision.

Healthcare sector is responsible for the provision of services such as diagnosis, primary care, treatment, and therapy. Studies in medicine aim to develop more effective interventions to combat diseases (“Flexner Report Transformed Med Schools,” 2008). Doctors and other professionals strive to provide the best possible alternatives for their patients. For instance, through intensive medical-based research, there is significant progress in addressing complex procedures such as hip replacement or heart surgery. The emphasis of the public health department is in disease and injury prevention (Fineberg, 2011, n.p). It promotes wellness by monitoring and evaluating the health status of a given community. Public health officials identify potential health problems and educate at-risk populations. Thus, they can inform the people of lifestyle choices that lead to heart-related complications.

The synergy of public health and medical care also occurs through shared infrastructure. Health officials play a significant role in mobilizing community partnerships with the aim of addressing specific problems. For example, undertaking immunization initiatives requires the participation of members of the community. Vaccinating citizens is one of the preventive measures that promote a society’s wellbeing (Bradford & Mandich, 2015, 1383). It safeguards local communities against certain diseases such as measles and polio. Undertaking such an activity requires both human and material resources. Health departments rely on physicians and other professionals to immunize the people. Similarly, the healthcare providers rely on the support and efforts of health officials to incentivize the community. The typical outcome of coordinating resources and vaccinating populations is reduced susceptibility to disease outbreaks.

Health departments incorporate the services of professionals in various fields to promote community safety and welfare. These departments may include venereal disease control, statistics, sanitary engineering, and bacteriological laboratories (Welch & Rose, 1915, 4). The divisions allow coordination of efforts to reduce infection rates and maintain people’s health. For instance, health inspectors enforce laws that enhance wellness through conducting tests to determine compliance to set regulations. Public health departments set standards by working with medical care providers. The knowledge and expertise that physicians and other medical personnel have from clinical practice are crucial in formulating safety measures. By working together, healthcare and public health identify practices that compromise wellness in society. Thus, the two entities work towards upholding the people’s safety and health.

Public health interacts with medical care to promote community welfare. Health departments are platforms that offer exceptional career advancement prospects for practitioners. These opportunities enable physicians to participate in various fields. The medical professions promote wellness, physical vigor, and economic independence (Flexner, 1972, 42). Public health facilitates these activities by engaging professionals in leading areas such as health policy formulation, disaster response, and environmental health concerns. While these engagements are rewarding to the healthcare providers, they serve as a means of facilitating research and development. Thus, practitioners in both general and specialty medicine participate in public health initiatives to advance care provision and population health.

In conclusion, healthcare is not the sole solution or strategy for improving patient and community wellness. Similarly, public health cannot address health issues solely. The interaction of the two entities is critical in determining health outcomes. A collaboration between public health and medical care results in more effective and advanced practices that significantly reduce mortality and morbidity in the community. The intersection of the two at local, national, and global levels impacts the well being of a society. While public health focuses on disease prevention in communities, medical care emphasizes patient treatment in healthcare settings. However, they both lead to improved vigor. Thus, through interactions such as resource sharing, public health, and medical care transform the health system.

References

Bradford, W. D., &Mandich, A. (2015). Some state vaccination laws contribute to greater exemption rates and disease outbreaks in the United States. Health Affairs, 34(8), 1383-1390. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1428

Fineberg, H. V. (2011). Public health and medicine: Where the twain shall meet. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 41(4), S149-S151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2011.07.013

Flexner Report Transformed Med Schools. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93666259?storyId=93666259

Flexner, A. (1972). Medical Education in the United States and Canada. Retrieved from http://archive.carnegiefoundation.org/pdfs/elibrary/Carnegie_Flexner_Report.pdf

Koo, D., Felix, K., Dankwa-Mullan, I., Miller, T., & Waalen, J. (2012). A Call for Action on Primary Care and Public Health Integration. American Journal of Public Health, 102(S3), S307-S309. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2012.300824

Welch, W., & Rose, W. (1915). The Welch-Rose Report. Retrieved from http://www.deltaomega.org/documents/WelchRose.pdf

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