Urban-metropolitan health requirements for California in 1975.

  • California. Department of Public Health.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Urban-metropolitan health requirements for California in 1975. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the private sector, from physicians and other sources, health promo- tion and counseling must become an integral part of diagnostic and ther- apeutic services. Physicians should be urged to study the social and environmental factors affecting a person's state of health, and to offer counseling appropriate to the individual's total socio-health circum - stances. 7 Since the health deficiencies of the economically disadvantaged are the gravest, promotion of health and means to preserve it are most urgent among such high-risk groups as: Negroes, Mexican-Americans, mi- grant families, the aged, broken families, the disabled and blind. In- novations in services, even such simple ones as the times and places that services are made available, will minimize the gap between mere advice and actual use of service. 8 The State should adopt an effective approach to fluoridation, on a state- wide basis. As a known, inexpensive, safe and effective deterrent to dental disease, resources and legislative action should be employed to extend this preventive measure to all Californians. REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE PLANNING To maximize the productivity of health manpower, technology and facilities, plan- ning should be developed along regional as well as statewide lines. Economy is often sacrificed by duplicate, costly equipment for competing services ina given community or region. Health manpower, as specialization dominates the scene, tends to become scarce. Certain parts of the state, where population is sparse, cannot hope to attract the range of specialists or maintain rarely needed equip- ment. Yet, it must be possible for people to be aware of and have access to specialized care when they need it. Planning and action on a regional basis is becoming the pattern for pollution con- trols, for hospital development, and other aspects of modern complex health services. Regional programs for the mentally retarded, for victims of kidney disease, for heart, cancer and stroke, make it possible for essential diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative services to be concentrated and yet available to all. At the same time, economies are achieved which facilitate optimum, compre- hensive care. Specifically, it is recommended that: 1 Regional planning of hospitals, and related health facilities and ser- vices, already proved to be an effective pattern, continue and expand.