Becky Tuttle: Public health workers impact lives daily

The alarm clock buzzes. You wake up and brush your teeth to get ready for the day. On your way to work, you fasten your seatbelt. You go to work and you notice a “smoke-free building” sign. Your sister calls to tell you that she and her newborn baby have just been released from the hospital, healthy, because of prenatal care. During your lunch break, you go for a walk and eat a healthy meal. While a work, a story comes on the radio describing a Whooping Cough outbreak that disease investigators are tracking.

At home, you wash your hands before preparing a dinner. A friend calls who has just been laid off from work. They have many worries, but knowing the community offers resources for affordable healthcare provides comfort. The local news reports an accidental chemical spill and public health professionals are on the scene, containing the incident. Time for bed and you drift off to sleep.

Public health has touched your life in countless ways today, working behind the scenes to keep you safe and sound. Even if you have never walked in the doors of the local health department or a public health agency, your life has been enriched because of public health efforts.

National Public Health Thank You Day is celebrated annually on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving. The purpose is to thank public health professionals who work tirelessly to make our communities a better place to live, learn, earn, play and pray. This year’s theme is “Public Health is Your Health!”

Primary care providers know that “upstream” factors, such as literacy, housing, income, availability of nutritious food, and a myriad of other personal, family and community conditions, affect the health of their patients to an even greater extent than do medical conditions, particularly — but not exclusively — those suffering from health disparities. These factors play a significant role in the development of chronic conditions as well as in the challenge of managing them.

Yet, primary care has little ability to influence these root causes of health and wellness. We simply can’t “treat” ourselves out of these complicated health issues. Of the trillion dollars that’s spent on largely preventable diseases, 88 percent is spent on treating the symptoms. We’re spending 4 percent on prevention. It seems the time has come to “rethink” how we think about health in our communities and focus on public health and prevention.

Consider how you too can contribute to a healthier community. Making a few, small changes can have a profound impact. Let’s challenge ourselves and our elected officials to support a strong public health system so Wichita and Sedgwick County will be a safe and healthy community that will attract and retain young talent, new businesses and future developers.

Join us from 4-5:30 p.m. Monday at KMUW, 121 N. Mead, Suite 200, for a reception, Refreshments will be served and comments will be made shortly after 5.

This story was originally published November 19, 2017 at 8:33 AM with the headline "Becky Tuttle: Public health workers impact lives daily."