Office of Public Health (OPH)
Public health is the science and practice of promoting health and preventing disease among Veteran and VA staff populations. In this context, health can be affected by natural or human-made environments, present and past occupations, place in society, gender, and other social or individual characteristics.
This is reflected in four pillars that uphold our ideals, initiatives, services, and programs:
1. Surveillance and epidemiology
2. Underserved populations
3. Disease prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion
4. Public health policy and guidance
The Public Health Program protects Veterans and Health Care Providers from adverse health consequences due to exposure to natural and human-made environments, present and past occupations, and other personal characteristics. OPH ensures health care preparedness and response, while providing leadership, multi-disciplinary SME teams, and guidance for preparedness. OPH coordinates policy development for public health preparedness issues: CDC liaison, personnel protection equipment, demonstration projects, and subject matter expertise in pandemic influenza, Ebola virus disease, measles. OPH develops policies on emergency cache, cache content, and other measures. They research, develop, and deploy evidence-based tools and training for providers and Veterans in preparedness, planning, and response. OPH evaluates and improves VA resilience and response to disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and extreme weather and mass casualty events.
For more information go to the Public Health site: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/
