How Do Federal Health Agencies Help?

Management Function Application

If I were a manager at the CDC, I would use the Controlling managerial function to promote the agency's mission of reducing the spread of infectious diseases, specifically by monitoring and improving state-level vaccination programs.

Managerial Function: Controlling

Controlling is the process of setting performance standards, measuring actual performance against those standards, and taking corrective action. This function is vital at the CDC because the effectiveness of public health interventions must be measured against defined, measurable goals.

Application to Vaccination Mission:

Establishing Standards (KPIs): The CDC, through its Immunization Services Division (ISD), sets clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for vaccine coverage, such as the national target for childhood MMR vaccination rates ($\geq 95\%$) or state-specific influenza vaccination goals for high-risk populations.

Measuring Performance: As a manager, I would use the National Immunization Survey (NIS) and state-reported data to continuously monitor actual state-level performance. This step reveals where performance falls short of the $95\%$ standard.

Taking Corrective Action: When data reveals a state or region is significantly below the target (e.g., $85\%$ MMR coverage), the managerial controlling function kicks in:

Diagnosis: The team would analyze the gap (e.g., identifying whether the problem is lack of access, vaccine hesitancy, or poor data reporting).

Intervention: The manager would then allocate resources (e.g., redirecting grant funds, providing technical assistance, deploying CDC experts) to state and local health departments to implement targeted campaigns or improve clinic accessibility.

Sample Answer

CDC's Contribution to Public Health 🩺

The CDC promotes public health through surveillance, research, and rapid response. It monitors disease outbreaks nationally and globally, collects and analyzes health data (e.g., vaccination rates, chronic disease prevalence), and develops evidence-based guidelines for prevention. The CDC operates crucial programs like the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which quickly communicates health risks to practitioners, and leads the development of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) guidelines, directly influencing national public health policy and vaccine distribution. Its work in emergency preparedness, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic or Ebola outbreaks, is essential for minimizing health crises.