The Three Core Functions of Public Health

An associate in otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Mount Nittany Physician Group, Dr. James Freije has spent the last two decades dedicated to improving public health. Dr. James Freije received a master of public health from SUNY University at Albany and is on both the cancer committee for Mount Nittany Medical Center and the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s committee for physicians' health.

The term “public health” is used in reference to the various methods by which populations promote health, prolong life, and prevent disease as a whole. There are three main functions of public health, which are listed below.

- Assessment: monitoring and assessing the overall health of a community and population allows professionals to determine what health problems are present and which ones must be prioritized. By knowing about a population’s main health problems, communities can look into possible causes and treatments.

- Policy development: local and national health organizations must design various policies that address a population’s health issues. This involves everything from informing and educating communities about problems to establishing various solution partnerships and actions within the community.

- Assurance: in order to maintain public health, all members of a population must have access to healthcare that is affordable and fitting for a range of health problems. Any established laws or policies require enforcement and regulation, along with regular research to ensure continued effectiveness and relevance.                            

The Three Core Functions of Public Health

An associate in otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Mount Nittany Physician Group, Dr. James Freije has spent the last two decades dedicated to improving public health. Dr. James Freije received a master of public health from SUNY University at Albany and is on both the cancer committee for Mount Nittany Medical Center and the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s committee for physicians' health.

The term “public health” is used in reference to the various methods by which populations promote health, prolong life, and prevent disease as a whole. There are three main functions of public health, which are listed below.

- Assessment: monitoring and assessing the overall health of a community and population allows professionals to determine what health problems are present and which ones must be prioritized. By knowing about a population’s main health problems, communities can look into possible causes and treatments.

- Policy development: local and national health organizations must design various policies that address a population’s health issues. This involves everything from informing and educating communities about problems to establishing various solution partnerships and actions within the community.

- Assurance: in order to maintain public health, all members of a population must have access to healthcare that is affordable and fitting for a range of health problems. Any established laws or policies require enforcement and regulation, along with regular research to ensure continued effectiveness and relevance.                            

Methods of Diagnosing Laryngeal Cancer

For more than 20 years, Dr. James Freije has been providing otolaryngology head and neck surgical care to patients in Pennsylvania and New York. Currently working out of Mount Nittany Physician Group, Dr. James Freije has written several publications and given numerous presentations on everything from cholesteatoma to head, neck, and oral cancers like laryngeal cancer.

Laryngeal cancer is often found based on the various symptoms an individual is presenting, but tests are still needed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the stage of the cancer. Doctors will often start off by asking questions about your symptoms and possible risk factors or family history. They will complete a full physical examination to check for any signs of other cancers, focusing specifically on the head and neck areas. If the results continue pointing towards laryngeal cancer, you will be referred to an otolaryngologist for more specialized tests.

Your specialist will often complete a biopsy, which removes and tests cells from the affected area. Both an endoscopy and laryngoscopy involve removing tissue, though they are used in different areas: a laryngoscopy takes a sample from the larynx while an endoscopy takes samples from the throat and esophagus. Otolaryngologists may also complete various imaging tests, such as a CT or MRI scan, to look for the actual tumor and determine how far the cancer may have spread.