February 2010
introducing the computer...
it does amazing things, supposedly.
then...
In 1991, Jeanne Bock, a new division director in public health in Idaho, decided it was time to bring computers into public health. It wasn't easy. Neither she nor her colleagues knew much about computers, and the software system they chose required intensive training. Some of the affected public health workers in her district chose an early retirement.
now...
Jeanne is now Director of Panhandle Health District and oversees a professional staff that is comfortable with computers. Clients receive automated reminders for public health services and are easily billed according to their income level. With their computer system, staff can monitor the services they provide and ensure that fees do not exceed costs. These days, everyone has a computer on their desk.
Jeanne Bock, Director, and Alana Anderson, Office Services Supervisor, Panhandle Health District discuss the introduction of computers into the public health workplace.
What was your role at the time you began introducing computers into your workplace?
JB: In 1991, I took a job as division director, and at that point it seemed logical to go to a database system, so I asked the director. He didn't like computers himself, but gave funds for a software system. To keep up with business practices, even in 1991, it seemed like we needed a computerized data collection system.
What were some barriers you experienced in doing this?
JB: Our professional staff had very little experience with computers. I truly had to start from scratch because there was no tech support. We had a couple of people who knew something about computers, but they were dedicated to other programs.
Eventually we got an IT person in-house who helped us with training and installations. But it wasn't as seamless as it is now. Now we do updates from the main server. Then we had to take computers down and install updates.
AA: As time went on, we began centralizing, and brought all the different secretaries and sections together. With computers, we could do centralized appointments and billing and could easily consolidate reporting.
JB: Some of that was good and some of it was not so well received. The various secretaries "owned" their programs and their clients. When we centralized, the secretaries lost this ownership.
Also, I can remember one clerical person who had been with us a long time when we introduced computers. She kept her typewriter even when we remodeled and moved. She had to have it. Finally, we got rid of it. It was a long process.
What role do computers now play in Idaho Public Health Districts?
JB: With what the system does for us, we have an accurate picture of how many clients we see and our costs associated with each program. Our system also helps us to establish fees that do not exceed costs.
AA: We bill people based on the income information we have put in. Our system will figure out their bill based on sliding scale. For example, family planning is funded with Title X funds. Our system is able to use income information and calculate percent of poverty. We are then able to put the client in the right fee category. This is invaluable.
JB: These days, everyone has a computer on their desk with some people using two monitors. We have better trained people now. We just hired a new secretary, and she comes with tremendous computer skills. The one who left was trained in shorthand. That's the biggest change recently: new hires are computer literate.
then & now, a monthly e-postcard, is part of NWCPHP's celebration of 20 years of promoting excellence in public health practice and is the recipient of a 2010 APEX Award for Publication Excellence. If you would like to receive these monthly e-postcards, or have a story idea, please email us at nwcphp@u.washington.edu.
