A Systematic Study of Nebraska’s Regional Public Health Agency Model

The researchers evaluated Nebraska’s change from single-county health departments to multi-county or regional public health systems. The researchers posited that a regional approach could have advantages for states like Nebraska due to the state’s relatively small population base and large geographic area. They examined the regional public health agency model based on variation and/or effectiveness of the following factors: 1) macro context, i.e., political, social, and economic environment; 2) structural capacity, i.e., human, organizational, fiscal, and informational resources); 3) processes, i.e., community partnerships, resource allocation; and 4) outcomes, i.e., practice and performance of public health services. The objective of this project was to inform federal and state policymakers about the lessons learned through Nebraska’s experience with a regional public health agency model, so that performance of public health practice can be improved.