Careers in Public Health
Public health
focuses on the health of communities and populations,
nationally and internationally. Practitioners of public
health know that the quality of the air we breathe, the
water we drink, and the food we eat affects our health.
They know that our lifestyles, the ways we relate to one
another, and our access to health care have an impact on
our health. Ancient wisdom tells us that all creatures and
things on this planet are interdependent. Chief Seattle
said, “Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a
strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to
himself.” Public health practitioners try to develop sound
policies and use health promotion and disease prevention
strategies that address this interrelatedness.
Public health focuses on disease prevention and health
promotion. Many informed observers have concluded that
attention to clean air and water and other public health
issues have done more to increase the health and longevity
of the world’s people than the more dramatic measures taken
by surgeons and physicians. They also argue that the major
advances in health over the next decades will not come from
new medical findings or cures, but rather from the broader
development and application of population-based prevention
programs. Although public health has not received the
accolades given to medicine, its importance is being
increasingly recognized. At a time when health costs are
soaring, prevention is being given more attention. The
concern about damage to the environment and the use of
biochemical warfare by terrorists is requiring the skills
of public health experts.
Major
Problems
Chronic
diseases, toxic wastes, behavior-related disorder, health
problems of the poor and disadvantaged, hazardous chemical
and physical agents, new infectious diseases, health issues
of the aging population, and the health of mothers of
infants are the top public health concerns identified by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Teen
pregnancy, unintentional injuries, substance abuse and
violence are also at the top of the list.
The
Ten Essential Public Health Services
Major public health organizations, such as the American
Public Health Association and the U.S. Public Health
Service, list the following as the key services provided by
public health specialists
- Monitor health status to identify community health problems.
- Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
- Inform, educate and empower people about health issues
- Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community efforts
- Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety
- Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable
- Assure a competent public health and personal health care workforce
- Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services
- Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
Public Health Careers
People from a variety of backgrounds work to protect and enhance the health of the public. People with graduate degrees in public health work in a wide variety of jobs. Some serve as researchers, health educators, maternal and child specialists, healthcare managers, epidemiologists, environmental health scientists and international health specialists. People with degrees in public health can also serve in positions such as healthcare policy analysts, air pollution engineers, alcohol rehabilitation specialists, biostatisticians toxicologists, demographers, sanitary engineers, and toxicologists. Some professionals have degrees in medicine, nursing, social work or other fields, as well as in public health.
Public Health Care for Indigenous People in the U.S.
A growing number of public health professionals are American Indians. There are public health programs for urban Indians and for Indian on reservations throughout the United States. One of the programs is the Family Spirit Project that takes place on the Navajo Nation and the White Mountain Apache Reservation in partnership with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for American Indian Health.
Several other innovative public health projects are described on the National Indian Health Board website. The National Indian Health Board advocates on behalf of all Tribal Governments and American Indians/Alaska Natives in their efforts to provide quality health care. They have a web page entitled Public Health Resource Center.
The Indian Health Service, as part of the Public Health Service, provides a comprehensive health services delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives, with opportunity for maximum tribal involvement in developing and managing programs to meet their health needs. It assists Native American tribes in developing their health programs; facilitates and assists tribes in coordinating health planning, obtaining and utilizing health resources available through Federal, State, and local programs, operating comprehensive health programs, and evaluating health programs; and provides comprehensive health care services including hospital and ambulatory medical care, preventive and rehabilitative services, and development of community sanitation facilities.
Parts of this article were originally published in the Summer 2003 issue of Winds of Change. (The cover artist is Tina Santiago, Coushatta.)