The Center for Public Health Systems & Services Research (CPHSSR) seeks to explore the impact of specific public health strategies on the quality and performance of the United States public health system. PHSSR is distinct, but related to, the established field of Health Services Research (HSR), which has traditionally focused on the delivery of medical services. 

The Center for PHSSR at UK offers grants for researchers, sponsors an annual conference for the discipline, publishes papers and manuscripts and increases the data available for researchers to use in this area. This developing field of research focuses on the organization, staffing, financing and management of public health. Ultimately, the answers uncovered through this body of research will help us be more effective and productive in our mission to improve health status.

HISTORY OF PHSSR
The nation has seen an awakening to the important role the public health system plays in improving the nation’s health status and in assuring that the public is protected from potential health problems. The release of two Institute of Medicine reports on the future of public health prompted a major examination of and investment in the nation’s public health system infrastructure. Efforts to improve and develop the nation’s public health system prompted many organizations and agencies to undertake new and significant initiatives designed to impact community health status through twin goals: community health improvement and protection.

As outlined in the goals of the National Public Health Performance Standards Program, it is crucial that public health practitioners encourage further development of the evidence base of Public Health and Public Health Systems & Services Research (PHSSR). The Center for PHSSR is designed to facilitate the efforts of the PHSSR community.  Establishing a knowledge base will allow researchers to optimize the use of scarce resources to support the development, evaluation, and improvement the of the public health system’s organization, financing, and delivery of services in the nation’s communities.

Goals and Objectives of The Center for Public Health Systems &
Services Research
In the fall of 2005, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health (UKCPH) to develop a database for Public Health Systems & Services  Research (PHSSR) in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to strengthen the capacity to conduct research in the emerging field of public health systems. 

The Goal of UKCPH is to assure the future of Public Health Systems & Service Research by encouraging young investigators to engage in research using datasets described in the PHSSR subset of NLM’s Health Services Research Resources.  One of the project objectives is to disseminate information about the new NLM PHSSR database to the research community. 

The Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice has examined existing PHSSR agendas and developed lists of research needs related to each of the following public health topics which serve as a guide for the investigators involved with the University of Kentucky’s PHSSR center:

• Organization & Structure
• Finance
• Workforce
• Technology, Data, and Methods

PHSSR researchers examine a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, finance, workforce, organization of services and management of public health services.  These researchers have experience in various disciplines.  By applying the unique perspectives inherent in their different disciplines to PHSSR, we hope that their research can offer innovative solutions to improve the health of the communities.

Our Staff

Lead by a team of experienced public health figures, the CPHSSR staff continues to make giant strides to impact the public health systems & services research community.  If you would like more information our our staff, please read their bios..