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Ministry of Health

For Healthcare Professionals

Who are Public Health Professionals?

The public health workforce consists of professionals from many fields with the common goal of protecting and promoting the health of a population. There are three broad categories of the public health workforce (PHAC, 2008):

  1. Consultants/specialists: Consultants/specialists are public health staff who are likely to have advanced education and training in a special content area or a specific set of skills. They provide expert advice and support to front line providers and managers although they may also work directly with clients. Examples of consultants/specialists include epidemiologists, environmental health scientists, evaluators, nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses.
    • Public health epidemiologists study the health status and health indicators of British Columbians by designing, implementing, and conducting epidemiological studies and surveillance systems. They also work with regional health authorities and health professionals to interpret data, perform statistical analysis, and evaluate the efficacy of public health programs and interventions. Some public health epidemiologists are physicians that have advanced education and training in epidemiology.

  2. Front line providers: Front line public health providers are public health staff who have post-secondary education and experience in the field of public health. Front line providers have sufficient relevant experience to work independently, with minimal supervision. Front line providers carry out the bulk of day-to-day tasks in the public health sector. They work directly with clients, including individuals, families, groups and communities. Responsibilities may include information collection and analysis, fieldwork, program planning, outreach activities, program and service delivery, and other organizational tasks. Examples of front line providers are public health nurses, public health/environmental health officers, public health dieticians, dental hygienists and health promoters.
    • Public health nurses promote and protect the health of populations in diverse settings, such as community health centres, schools, street clinics, youth centres and nursing outposts, to meet the health needs of the whole or specific populations. They work with many partners in communities to implement maternal and child health promotion programs; disease and injury prevention programs; school health programs; sexually transmitted infection prevention programs that include treatment, education and outreach; immunization clinics; and communicable disease surveillance and control.
    • Environmental health officers investigate and influence conditions in the natural and built/physical environment that affect human health and wellbeing. They deal with the health impacts of contaminated air, water, land, and food, indoor and outdoor environments, and address biological, physical, chemical and radiological hazards. Environmental health officer’s duties include inspections of and investigating complaints about food establishments, swimming pools, water supplies and sewage disposal systems. They also administer and enforce environmental health legislation related to these matters.
    • Public health dieticians plan, develop, implement, and evaluate nutrition policies, programs, and services. They consult with select populations for specific health conditions in order to assess and develop plans for sound food and nutrition practices. They also work with other public health professionals to advocate for programs and policy changes as needed.

  3. Managers/supervisors: Managers/supervisors are public health staff who are responsible for major programs or functions. Typically, they have staff who report to them. Sometimes senior managers come from sectors other than public health and therefore rely heavily on consultants/specialists and other public health professionals for content expertise and advice. In other situations, managers with public health experience and qualifications are expected to bring more content knowledge. Examples of managers/supervisors include medical health officers, public health administrators, and population health directors.
    • Medical health officers are physicians that have public health training through post-secondary training and/or specialty training in Community Medicine. They use population health knowledge and skills to play leading and collaborative roles in the maintenance and improvement of the health and well-being of their communities. They are responsible, with the public health team, for monitoring, preventing and controlling communicable and chronic diseases, investigating disease outbreaks and hazards to health and coordinating public health responses to health threats. Medical health officers carry out legislated requirements of a number of public health statutes which pertain to communicable disease prevention and control, environmental health, tobacco harm prevention, drinking water protection and community care facility licensing.

Reference

  1. Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). (2008, 04 03). Public Health Competency. Retrieved 02 10, 2010, from Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccph-cesp/links-liens-eng.php.