What is Public Health?

public health n. The science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community, as by preventative medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental hazards. (The American Heritage Dictionary)

"Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time."

– C. Everett Koop

For the past forty years, we at the Public Health Institute have been dedicated to changing the way people think about health.

We do so with the knowledge that public health is not easily summarized and public health experts are not always easy to recognize. However, we are proud that the benefits of public health are apparent in our everyday lives.

From scientific research to health education, the field of public health changes the social conditions and systems that affect everyone within a given community. It is because of public health that we understand that unclean water can carry bacteria that cause disease, that second-hand smoke can be deadly, and that seat belts can save lives.

To the public health practitioner, social, cultural and economic factors all contribute to the overall health of a community. From the local level to the international stage, public health experts explore the context of people's lives in order to fully diagnose and evaluate the intersection of issues that impact community wellness.

By identifying and monitoring these health concerns that may affect entire communities, public health practitioners are uniquely qualified to advocate policies, promote behavioral change and change practices to ensure that we all stay healthy.

Typically, when you think about your health, you may be concerned about whether you are coming down with the flu or if that chicken you ate last night was undercooked. However, it is because of the practice of public health that flu shots are available every year and that we understand that undercooked chicken is one cause of food poisoning.

Unlike medical providers, who are interested in the health of individuals, public health providers are interested in the health of the community as a whole. As former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop wrote, "health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time."