[Compaing the personal satisfaction and management style between cooperative and public health centers]

Taking advantage of private sector capabilities in providing health services was considered as a priority through Iran's latest health reform programs. Establishing health cooperatives and transferring health service provision to them through a public-private partnership method was the main strategy chosen in eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran. This study was aimed at comparing management status and staff satisfaction between health cooperatives and public health centers. In this analytical study 9 health centers transferred to cooperatives and 18 current public health centers were compared considering staff satisfaction and management status. Study population was health service providing staff from these health centers in a time period from February to April 2002. Data were analyzed by SPSS 10 statistical package. Chi-Square and t tests were used to analyze data. Staff attitude towards management status of health center was found to be statistically higher in health cooperatives than public health centers in areas like: planning for staff welfare, existence of an annual plan, existence of a process improvement plan, good relationship with clients, team work,on time supply of consumer goods and required equipments. It was also shown that staff satisfaction in fields of sense of respect and sense of ownership and satisfaction with job environment relations was higher in health cooperatives compared to public health centers. Findings of this study indicate that although health cooperatives are structurally similar to or better to say are copied from public health centers, but their managing style is quite different similar to other private managements. It seems that managing system in cooperatives acts more effectively in staff motivation and considering structural and payment limitations in public sector, health cooperatives can be a good alternative

Community participation in environmental health: Eastern Azerbaijan Healthy Villages project

The objective of this project in East Azerbaijan villages was to improve community participation in rural areas in a Healthy Villages programme. The project covered 1680 villages, and 3605 training courses for health staff and village residents on environmental health were conducted in 10 stages from 1992 to 2000. Men's and women's health councils in villages were established in 92% and 62% of villages respectively. In 39% of villages, people collected animal waste and improved the disposal collection process. A decrease in the prevalence of parasitic disease in the area was prominent after the project