101 Careers in Public Health Book

Preface

Acknowledgments

PART I Introduction to Public Health 1

1 What Is Public Health? 3

History of Public Health 3

The Role of Public Health Today 4

2 Education in Public Health 9

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Health 9

Master's of Public Health Degrees 10

Doctor's of Public Health Degrees 10

Combined Degree Programs 11

Other Master's Degrees 11

Engineering Degrees 11

Certifications and Other Training 11

Finding a School of Public Health 12

3 Finding Jobs in Public Health 13

Traditional Pathways 13

Getting in the Back Door 15

Combining Public Health with Another Career 16

Professional Associations 16

Federal Government Agencies 16

State and Local Agencies 18

PART II Public Health Careers 19

4 Infectious Disease 21

Epidemiologist 22

Public Health Profile: Orion McCotter, MPH, Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Epidemiologist, Arizona Department of Health Services 24

Medical Officer 26

Public Health Profile: George Pourakis, MD, MPH, Medical Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 28

Public Health Nurse 30

Public Health Profile: Donna Westawski, MSN, Tuberculosis Nurse Consultant, Pennsylvania Department of Health 33

Public Health Veterinarian 35

Public Health Advisor 37

Vaccine Researcher 39

Public Health Profile: Mario Roederer, PhD, Senior Investigator, ImmunoTechnology Section, Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health 41

Disease Ecologist 44

Infection Preventionist 46

5 Chronic Disease and Cancer 49

Health Educator 50

Health Promotion Program Coordinator 52

Public Health Profile: John Wedeles, MPH, Program Coordinator, Manhattan Tobacco Cessation Program 54

Medical Epidemiologist/Chronic Disease 56

Public Health Profile: Sarah Schillie, Medical Epidemiologist, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 58

Public Health Dentist 60

Public Health Profile: James Lalumandier, DDS, MPH, Professor and Chair of Community Dentistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine 62

Tobacco Quitline Advisor 64

Public Health Profile: Shelley Anderson, Counselor, California Smokers' Helpline 66

Behavioral Scientist 68

Study Coordinator 70

6 Public Safety 73

Injury Prevention Specialist 74

Director of Emergency Medical Services 76

Public Health Profile: Virginia Hastings, Executive Director, Island Counties EMS Agency 78

Specialist in Poison Information 80

Public Health Profile: Jean Lubbert, RN, CSPI, Nebraska Regional Poison Center 83

Forensic Pathologist 85

7 Maternal and Child Health 89

Deputy Director/Family Health Services 90

Public Health Profile: Chris Haag, MPH, Deputy Director, Bureau of Family Health Services, Alabama Department of Public Health 92

Home Visit Nurse 94

Community Health Worker 96

WIC Nutritionist 98

Public Health Profile: Rosemary Flynn, MS, RD, Public Health Nutritionist, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, Nassau County Health Department 100

8 Pharmaceuticlas and Drug Safety 105

Pharmacist 106

Public Health Profile: Lt. Brian Parker, PharmD, Pharmacist, San Xavier Indian Health Center 108

Medical Officer/Drug Evaluation and Safety 110

Public Health Profile: Sandra Kweder, MD, Deputy Director, Office of New Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration 111

Biostatistician 114

Director, State Board of Pharmacy 116

Regulatory Affairs Specialist 118

9 Environmental Health and Water Safety 121

Toxicologist 122

Posioning Prevention Coordinator 124

Environmental Engineer 126

Public Health Profile: Jeff stone, PE, Chief Engineer, Engineering Section, Arkansas Department of Health 128

Hazardous Waste Inspector 131

Public Health Profile: Chad Babcock, Environmental Project Scientist, South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources 132

Hydrologist 135

Environmental Health Nurse 136

Community Activist 138

Public Health Profile: Peggy Shepard, Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice 140

Health Physicist 143

10 Occupational Health and Safety 147

Occupational Medicine Physician 148

Employee Health Nurse 150

Industrial Hygienist 152

Public Health Profile: Erica Stwart, CIH, HEM, National Environmental, Health and Safety Senior Manager, Kaiser Permanente 154

Corporate Medical Director 156

Public Health Profile: Ron Stout, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Procter & Gamble 158

11 Food Safety and Nutrition 163

Nutrition Consulant 164

Food Service Sanitarian 166

Public Health Profile: Sara T. Losh, RS, Health Inspector, Health and Food Safety, City of Frisco 168

Food Inspector/Department of Agriculture 170

Consumer Safety Officer/FDA 172

Food Scientist 174

12 Disaster Preparedness and Response 177

Emergency Preparedness Specialist 178

Public Health Profile: Bindy Crouch, MD, MPH, Primary Care Emergency Preparedness Medical Coordinator, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 180

Environmental Health Emergency Response Specialist 183

Disaster Preparedness Researcher 185

Public Health Profile: David Abramson, PhD, Director of Research, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health 187

Bioterrorism Researcher 190

13 Health Communication 193

Journalist 194

Communications Director 196

Public Health Profile: Katherine Hull, Vice President of Communications; Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network 199

Social Marketer 201

Public Health Profile: Les Pappas, President and Creative Director, Better World Advertising 204

Medical Writer 206

14 Health Education 209

Health Teacher 210

Public Health Profile: Steve Haines, MA, Health and PE Teacher, Newtown Friends School 212

Continuing Education Coordinator 214

Professor, School of Public Health 216

Dean, School of Public Health 218

Public Health Profile: Linda P. Fried, MD, MPH, Dean, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University 220

15 Health Disparities, Vulnerable Groups, and At-Risk Popuulations 223

Director, Office of Minority Health 224

Public Health Profile: Duane Herron, MPH, Minority Health Program Coordinator, Toledo-Lucas County Health Department 226

Patient Navigator 228

Correctional Medicine Physician 230

Public Health Profile: Elizabeth Sazie, MD, MPH, CCHP, Chief Medical Officer, Coffe Creek Correctional Facility, Oregon Department of Corrections 232

Disease Prevention Activist 235

President and CEO, Area Agency on Aging 237

16 Public Mental Health 241

Mental Health Researcher 242

Public Health Profile: Leigh Ann Simmons, PhD, MFT, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine 244

Public Health Social Worker 247

Public Health Profile: Mamie Elmore, LMSW, Social Work Director, Region 4, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control 249

Coordinator, Behavioral Health Program 252

Homeless Services Educator 254

17 Public Health Law, Regulations, and Policies 257

Advocacy Director 258

Policy Analyst 259

Public Health Profile: Jennifer Greaser, RN, MSN, Public Health Analyst, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 261

Health Legislative Assistant 264

Health Economist 266

Public Health Lawyer 268

Consumer Advocate 271

Public Health Lobbyist 273

18 Evaluation, Safety, and Quality 277

Program Evaluator 278

Public Health Profile: Allison Meserve, MPH, Research Associate, Public Health Solutions 280

Quality Improvement Specialist 282

Outcomes Researcher 284

Informatics Specialist 286

Patient Safety Specialist 288

Public Health Profile: Iona Thraen, ACSW, PhD, Candidate, Director, Patient Safety Initiative, Utah Department of Health 290

Health Facility Surveyor 293

19 Nonprofit Organizations 295

Grant Writer 295

Development Director 297

Program Officer 299

Public Health Profile: Brenda Henry, PhD, MPH, Research and Evaluation Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 301

Volunteer Coordinator 304

Director of a Professional Association 306

Public Health Profile: Mike Barry, Executive Director, American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) 308

20 Public Health Administration and Leadership 311

Health Commissioner 312

Public Health Profile: Tere Dickson, MD, MPH, Deputy Commissioner of Health, Director of the Center for Social Health and Advocacy, Nassau County Department of Health 314

Public Health Laboratory Director 317

Medical Director 319

Federal Agency Director 321

Surgeon General of the United States 322

21 Global Health 325

Physician/Global Health 326

Technical Advisor/Logistics 328

Proeurement Manager 330

Public Health Profile: Paul Stannard, Deputy Procurement Manager, Crown Agents 332

International Programs Manager 335

Public Health Profile: April Davies, MPH, International Programs Manager, Water.org 337

NGO Founder/Director 340

Public Health Profile: Asheesh Bhalla, MPH, President/Executive Director, The Friends of Humanity Organization of Afghanistan (FHO) 342

Entomologist 345

22 Off the Beaten Path 347

Dance Instructor 347

Urban Planner 349

Hospital Administrator 351

Chef 353

Public Health Profile: Esther Cook, Chef Teacher, The Edible Schoolyard, a program of the Chez panisse Foundation 354

Worksite Wellness Manager 357

Medical Expert/Media 359

Public Health profile: John Whyte, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Expert, Vice President of CME, Discovery Channel 361

PART III The Future OF Public Health 365

23 The Future of Public Health 367

Health Reform and Public Health Jobs 367

Climate Change and Public Health 368

Public Health and Changing Populations 369

New Media and Public Health 369

Index 371