Turnock's Public Health: What It Is and How It Works, Eighth Edition: What It Is and How It Works

by Guthrie S. Birkhead, Cynthia B. Morrow, Sylvia Pirani

Overview

Turnock's Public Health: What It Is and How It Works takes a clear, systems-based approach to examining the modern U.S. public health system-its structure, functions, operations, and significance.

The book is divided into two parts: Part I covers the fundamental components of public health practice in the 21st-century Unit ed States, while Part II presents case studies that illustrate public health in action. Together, these sections provide students with a comprehensive understanding of public health as both a system and a social enterprise, equipping them to apply their knowledge to real-world public health challenges, programs, and initiatives.

Offering the latest data, updated tables and new figures, the Eighth Edition also explores current concepts and trends including the 10 Essential Public Health Services (EPHS), Healthy People 2030, and health equity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other key updates include:

• New chapter on Pandemic and All-Hazards Public Health Preparedness emphasizes the critical lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the essential role of public health in safeguarding community health during emergencies.
• Unique public health administration chapters explore managing public health infrastructure and public health programs.
• New case studies on COVID-19, firearms and health, and substance use.
• Revised and expanded Out-of-the-Book Thinking boxes as well as discussion questions to engage students in exploring concepts more deeply.

Introductory Public Health courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

© 2026 | 480 pages

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781284019148
Publisher:	Jones & Bartlett Learning
Publication date:	12/01/2025
Edition description:	8th ed.
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Guthrie (Gus) Birkhead, MD, MPH - Dr. Birkhead is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University at Albany. Until September 2015, he worked at the New York State Department of Health for 27 years in positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Deputy Commissioner for Public Health from 2007 to 2015.' In that position, he provided direction and oversight to all public health programs in the department including infectious disease, chronic disease, environmental health, nutrition, the public health laboratory, public health practice, and public health preparedness.' He is a past member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and past member and chair of the National Vaccine Advisory Council.' He is a graduate of Princeton University (AB), Yale University School of Medicine (MD) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (MPH).' He is also a graduate of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service and Preventive Medicine Residency programs.' Dr. Birkhead is board certified in internal medicine and in preventive medicine and public health. He has published over 150 papers in the peer-reviewed literature and authored eight book chapters on topics including public health surveillance, perinatal HIV prevention, immunizations, the public health workforce and public health preparedness.' He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Public Health Association and the Executive Committee of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Alumni Association.

Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH - Dr. Morrow currently teaches at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. Previously, she was the Lerner Chair for Health Promotion, Maxwell School of Public Administration, Syracuse University (2014-2017) and the Commissioner of Health for Onondaga County (2005-2014). She is a co-editor of three public health textbooks: “Bioethics, Public Health, and the Social Sciences for the Medical Professions” (Springer, 2019), '“JPHMP’s 21 Public Health Case Studies on Policy & Administration” (Wolters Kluwer, Philadelphia, 2018), and “Public Health Administration: Principles for Population Health Management” (Jones and Bartlett, 2009).' She is also a consulting editor for the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice as well as the series editor for “Boots on the Ground: Narratives from Today’s Local Public Health Workforce” for JPHMP Direct, the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice’s companion website.'' She is a graduate of Swarthmore College (BA), Tufts University School of Medicine (MD, MPH), and the Medical University of South Carolina (Internal Medicine residency).

Sylvia Pirani, MS, MPH - Sylvia Pirani is a public health practice consultant. She is providing public health practice support to the Region 2 Public Health Training Center hosted by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and serves as a site visitor for the national Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).' For 25 years, she worked at the New York State Department of Health where she directed the Office of Public Health Practice.'' In that role, she managed technical, fiscal, and data support for the state’s 58 local health departments, led the development and implementation of the Prevention Agenda, NYS’ public health improvement plan, and guided the Department’s successful application for public health accreditation. She has a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Science in Urban Planning from Columbia University. Prior to joining the NYS Department of Health, she spent 8 years at the NYC Department of Health working on child health policy issues.

Table of Contents

Part I Public Health: What It Is and How It Works
Chapter 1 What Is Public Health?
Chapter 2 Assessment: Defining and Measuring Health and Determinants of Health
Chapter 3 Public Health and the Healthcare System
Chapter 4 Law, Government, and Public Health
Chapter 5 Twenty-First Century Community Public Health Practice
Chapter 6 Public Health Workforce
Chapter 7 Public Health Administration: Managing Public Health Infrastructure
Chapter 8 Managing Public Health Programs
Chapter 9 Public Health Practice: Future Challenges
Part II Case Studies in Public Health Practice
Case Study 1 21st-Century Public Health Achievements
Case Study 2 An Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease: A Case Study in Surveillance and Response
Case Study 3 Asthma Home Visitation and Case Management: Improving Health through Innovative Part nerships
Case Study 4 A Case-Study in Policy Development: Taxing Sweetened Beverages in Philadelphia
Case Study 5 New York State’s Prevention Agenda: A Collaborative Model for Population Health Improvement
Case Study 6 Public Health Workforce Development: The Role of a Public Health Training Center
Case Study 7 Developing a Public Health Program
Case Study 8 Public Health Leadership
Case Study 9 Gulf Oil Spill Aftermath
Case Study 10 Bioterrorist Attack on Food: A Tabletop Exercise