Look for the 'Broad Street pump' for good public health Family physicians historically have led the crusade to improve public health, says David Satcher, MD, PhD, an FP and director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He speaks from experience. He went door to door with a list of family practice objectives, asking neighborhood residents how important each objective was to them. He was saying they don't separate their needs in the inner city.
Some needs are so overwhelming that they put health needs on hold.
For example, it may be unsafe to leave the apartment, so they won't go to the doctor. The survey had a major impact on Dr. Satcher's approach to medicine, illustrating for him the importance of treating patients in the context of their community. He notes that children in one particular part of Atlanta are 10 times more likely to die of asthma, and researchers are trying to determine why. Understanding the root of such problems could help prevent illness, he says. Dr. Satcher tells the story of John Snow, a general practitioner in England.