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Ministry of Health

Public Health in B.C.

What Do Public Health Professionals Do?

Core competencies are the essential values, attitudes, skills and knowledge possessed by front line public health providers, consultants, specialists, managers and supervisors.

Core competencies fall under seven categories:

  1. Public Health Sciences
    • Demonstrate knowledge about the health status of populations, inequities in health, and determinants of health and illness.

    For example, front line public health providers may discuss the need for prenatal nutrition programs in an Aboriginal community, as well as contributing factors such as income, education, culture and traditional foods.

  2. Assessment and Analysis
    • Recognize health concerns or issues, identify relevant sources of information, and determine appropriate implications, uses, gaps and limitations of information.

    In B.C., public health specialists collect data from the BC Centre for Disease Control on an ongoing basis to provide provincial and national infectious disease notifications. When there are higher than expected infectious disease outbreaks, local and provincial efforts take place to identify the cause of the increase in order to effectively manage the outbreak.

  3. Policy and Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
    • Describe policy and program options to address a specific public health issue, determine the legislative and fiscal implications of each option, and develop a plan to implement an appropriate course of action.

    For example, front line public health providers may identify increased rates of sexually transmitted infections among youth, consider school-based education and intervention programs, investigate how the interventions may affect different regions of the province, and determine available resources in order to pursue the most appropriate action.

  4. Partnerships, Collaboration and Advocacy
    • Identify and collaborate with partners to address public health issues.

    For example, the Provincial Health Officer seeks advice and input from policymakers, local communities, and public health organizations in order to make recommendations to improve the quality of British Columbia’s drinking water.

  5. Diversity and Inclusiveness
    • Recognize and address population diversity when planning, implementing, adapting and evaluating public health programs and policies.

    For example, the more than twenty action items contained B.C.’s 10 year Tripartite First Nations Health Plan create fundamental changes for the improvement of the health status of First Nations people in British Columbia.

  6. Communication
    • Communicate and mobilize individuals and communities by using appropriate media, community resources, current technologies and social marketing techniques.

    For example, a hepatitis outbreak in a youth hostel prompts front line public health providers to use community newspapers, local television, and social networking websites to target and notify the young travelers who may have been at risk.

  7. Leadership
    • Contribute toward developing key values and a shared vision in planning and implementing public health programs and policies in the community.

    Each year, the Provincial Health Officer reports on British Columbians’ health status and the need for policies and programs, and offers recommendations for individuals and organizations to improve their health.

For more information:
Core Competencies for Public Health
Public Health Agency of Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccph-cesp/links-liens-eng.php