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What is
Public Health

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Public health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health of local and global communities.

As a field, public health is dedicated to protecting and improving society's well-being at various levels including individual, neighborhood, city, state, and even nationally.

Amanda in the lab.
Unlike a doctor who treats individual patients, the public health expert considers health from the perspective of entire communities: neighborhoods, cities, states, countries, and even across international boundaries.
- Seltzer and Krasna

The effects of public health on society are significant. Public health has taken center stage in recent history with some reports estimating that life expectancy has doubled in the past two hundred years and directly attributing this increase to public health efforts.

While the field of public health is broad and fluid, it serves three core functions, which cover the 10 Essential Public Health Services:

Assessment

With access to more data than ever, a major aspect of public health is collecting and analyzing health data. This involves utilizing innovative approaches and technology to recognize and understand noteworthy trends.

Policy Development

Public health has goals to shift to a better future, which often takes the form of adjusting existing policy. 

Assurance

The final function of public health is the overall ambition to better society. This takes place at every stage, whether it’s building a diverse team, basing decisions on sound science, or ensuring equitable access to care, services and resources.

Equity Wheel Assessment. With access to more data than ever, a major aspect of public health is collecting and analyzing health data. This involves utilizing innovative approaches and technology to recognize and understand noteworthy trends. Assess and monitor population health. Investigate, diagnose, and address health hazards and root causes. Policy Development. Public health has goals to shift to a better future, which often takes the form of adjusting existing policy. Communicate effectively to inform and educate. Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships. Create, champion, implement policies, plants and laws. Utilize legal and regulatory actions. Assurance. The final piece of public health is the overall ambition to better society. This takes place at every stage, whether it’s building a diverse team, basing decisions on sound science, or ensuring equitable access to care, services and resources. Enable equitable access. Build a diverse and skilled workforce. Improve and innovate through evaluation, research, and quality improvement. Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.

Assessment

With access to more data than ever, a major aspect of public health is collecting and analyzing health data. This involves utilizing innovative approaches and technology to recognize and understand noteworthy trends.

  • Assess and monitor population health
  • Investigate, diagnose, and address health hazards and root causes

Policy Development

Public health has goals to shift to a better future, which often takes the form of adjusting existing policy.

  • Communicate effectively to inform and educate
  • Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships
  • Create, champion, implement policies, plants and laws
  • Utilize legal and regulatory actions

Assurance

The final piece of public health is the overall ambition to better society. This takes place at every stage, whether it’s building a diverse team, basing decisions on sound science, or ensuring equitable access to care, services and resources.

  • Enable equitable access
  • Build a diverse and skilled workforce
  • Improve and innovate through evaluation, research, and quality improvement
  • Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health

  • Assessment

    With access to more data than ever, a major aspect of public health is collecting and analyzing health data. This involves utilizing innovative approaches and technology to recognize and understand noteworthy trends.

    • Assess and monitor population health
    • Investigate, diagnose, and address health hazards and root causes

  • Policy Development

    Public health has goals to shift to a better future, which often takes the form of adjusting existing policy.

    • Communicate effectively to inform and educate
    • Strengthen, support, and mobilize communities and partnerships
    • Create, champion, implement policies, plants and laws
    • Utilize legal and regulatory actions

  • Assurance

    The final piece of public health is the overall ambition to better society. This takes place at every stage, whether it’s building a diverse team, basing decisions on sound science, or ensuring equitable access to care, services and resources.

    • Enable equitable access
    • Build a diverse and skilled workforce
    • Improve and innovate through evaluation, research, and quality improvement
    • Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health

Connect with Local, State, and Territorial Health Departments

To find local governmental public health jurisdictions, see - www.naccho.org

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