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This article examines how business language has been incorporated in health service organizations. The purpose of this article is not to debate the virtues and drawbacks of NPM but rather, to emphasize the role of language and communication as critical components for public administration in its day-to-day contact with the business sector. It draws upon a self-administered survey to reach the conclusion that business language is being used in health and human service organizations. By the same token this study shows that instituting these actions have been consistent with government language and have not endangered traditional democratic values.

As of 2003, there were 581 city managers in Texas, 50 (8.6 percent) of whom were Hispanic. The author of this descriptive study conducted a survey of these city managers in 2004 to determine their educational and professional backgrounds, their similarities to non-Hispanic city managers, and the barriers to their progress in municipal management. The findings show that there are differences in how Hispanic and other city managers prioritize quality-of-life criteria for their communities. Hispanic city managers are relatively new to the field, but they nevertheless tend to be supported by their respective city councils and regard themselves as being truly representative of their communities. Statistically, Hispanic city managers are not being replaced by Hispanic assistant city managers, although there is a significant pool of Hispanic midlevel managers ready to move up. The article concludes with an argument that the field of public administration must place more emphasis on training future city managers and public administrators who will not only be professionally qualified but also better reflect the populations they serve. Adapted from the source document.

This article discusses the plight of the homeless during public health emergencies and the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It reviews the role of public administrators that grounds their efforts by examining their foundational purpose to serve the most vulnerable in our society. Using subsidiarity principle as the context, it discusses homelessness in America and the role of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and their Continuum of Care program. It also highlights the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during public health emergencies and their interim guidelines for local governments in providing for the homeless during emergencies. Finally, through a case study on the city of Dallas, Texas, the article examines how local governments have responded to address the needs of the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes that it is imperative that public administrators at all levels of government explore areas of shared competence, cooperation, and allocate responsibility where it would yield the most efficient result.

In an effort to reduce the rising costs of health care many local governments are turning to alternative and innovative strategies to mitigate the problem. One solution has been to offer a wellness program for employees. The article reviews the research on employee assistance programs and differentiates between them and the current wellness programs that are in place today. Wellness programs have proved to be cost effective and the return on investment has been well worth the initial cost. A recent study is reviewed to show the current profile of wellness programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. More local governments in this area have initiated wellness programs and the results so far have been encouraging. The article argues that, though wellness programs at the local level of government are not new, they have been repackaged as a positive alternative to reduce costs. A win/win situation arises for the public employee when their health is promoted and they are being productive stewards of tax payer dollars.

This article draws on the institutional collective action (ICA) framework and data from a survey of senior public health and emergency management professionals in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex following the Ebola outbreak to investigate coordination effectiveness during public health emergencies. Based on the study findings, the article recommends that having an identifiable lead agency, official statements from local authorities, a conducive environment for informal conversations, and communication activities that inform, connect, and involve professionals is essential for an effective coordination. Practical implications of the study extend to how to mitigate collective action dilemmas with regard to coordinating COVID-19 pandemic responses.