When it comes to healthcare, our minds immediately go to doctors, nurses, and other primary healthcare providers. Undoubtedly, the role that they play in society cannot be overlooked.
But, another facet of healthcare requires just as much attention and credit for its impact on a community—the field of public health.
What is Public Health?
Public health is a field of healthcare that focuses primarily on promoting prevention and spreading awareness rather than providing medical care. It aims to create a healthy society and eradicate diseases.
As such, the work of public health professionals ranges from research, advocacy, and education to disease prevention and crisis response.
What do Public Health Workers Do?
Public health workers focus on improving the overall health of a community while releasing the burden off of the primary healthcare providers. There are a variety of roles in the profession of public health, such as:
- Public Health Technicians
- Program Manager
- Public Health Nurses
- Public Health Educators
- Healthcare Administrators
- Epidemiologists
Becoming a Public Health Worker
While certain roles, such as public health nurses, need formal training and licenses, others only require a degree in public health or an associated subject. Public health programs offer a range of specializations, such as geo-health, health policy, and community health promotion.
Most public health professionals study healthcare, pre-medical, social work, or public health as undergraduates and join the field straight out of college. However, a postgraduate degree like an MPH online program would be ideal for those interested in the field.
The Importance of Public Health Workers in a Community
Public health professionals are one of the foundations of a good healthcare system. A healthcare system can’t function properly without a strong public health wing targeting problems on a macro-level.
An example of the importance of the public health system was the COVID-19 pandemic. While front-line health workers were responsible for treating and caring for those under treatment, public health workers worked tirelessly to educate and prevent the spread of the disease.
Let’s elaborate on the importance of public health workers more.
1. Spreading Awareness
One of the most prominent and important societal roles that public health workers play is spreading awareness regarding healthcare, self-care, and healthy living. We often see people fall ill and suffer due to preventable diseases and a lack of proper self-care.
By holding awareness campaigns and seminars for the general public, especially marginalized communities, public health workers strive to prevent the rise of dangerous diseases.
2. Educating the Community
For public health workers, a huge part of their job revolves around educating people regarding healthcare. Public health workers worldwide play this part in various ways, such as hosting workshops and going door to door.
They teach people general disease prevention guidelines, good hygiene practices, administration of basic first aid, and other essential things such as CPR, checking one’s blood pressure, etc. This allows community members to look after their health and safeguard themselves against many health concerns.
3. Supporting the Healthcare System
At the moment, America is facing a severe shortage of physicians, which is expected to worsen with time.
In these circumstances, public health is our only hope of sustaining the healthcare system. By working to improve a community’s health, public health workers lessen the burden on primary healthcare providers. As more people practice healthy living and self-care, primary healthcare providers see fewer patients walk through their doors.
4. Bridging the Gap between the Healthcare System and Communities
Public health workers are present in all communities, regardless of the state of the healthcare system there. In small, underprivileged communities, there is a lot of apprehension regarding the healthcare system, and people are generally hesitant to visit primary healthcare providers.
Public health workers help community members understand the importance of being in good health by being a part of the community.
Their interaction helps community members be more comfortable when seeking medical help when required.
Similarly, public health workers also help highlight the issues communities face and can help primary healthcare providers improve the patient experience in such communities.
5. Carrying out Wellness Programs
In addition to spreading awareness and raising education, public health workers also have many practical roles in a community, and one of the most significant is conducting health wellness programs.
These programs include vaccination drives, setting up public health camps, and distributing medical supplies among people. These wellness programs greatly impact a community’s general health, a blessing for the healthcare system.
6. Advocacy and Policymaking
For public health workers more interested in activism and structural change, there is a lot of work available surrounding advocacy and policymaking for promoting public health.
From demanding more structure in the healthcare system to fighting to improve the living conditions of marginalized communities, public health activities have a huge impact on the state of healthcare in a community.
They work extensively with governments, organizations, and primary healthcare providers to develop policies that promote access to healthcare for all.
7. Monitoring Community Health
As we have previously seen, public health workers are the macro-level facet of healthcare. Hence, they are also tasked with finding problems with the healthcare system and monitoring community health to identify problem areas requiring improvement.
This allows the government and the healthcare system to receive essential information for improving healthcare.
8. Program Development
Developing alternative health delivery programs is another area of interest for public health workers.
Working with other organizations in the healthcare sector, such as healthcare NGOs or health centers, public health workers develop structured programs for managing epidemics, community-wide medical emergencies, and other forms of crisis response.
This allows a community to have the tools to manage medical crises such as a pandemic.
Conclusion
From helping community members navigate the healthcare system through awareness and education to bringing about a positive change in the general well-being of a community, public health workers handle a lot of responsibilities.
Despite their efforts to bring harmony within a community, public health workers aren’t given the attention and recognition they deserve.
If you are passionate about healthcare and want to play your part in improving community health, a career as a public health worker may be your calling.