Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Community Health Careers
Community Health Careers
Community Health Careers
Community health workers are frontline public health professionals that link health and social services with the
communities they serve.
Community health workers are called upon to facilitate a community’s access to services and improve the quality of
those services and the efficiency with which they are delivered. They analyze the health effects associated with
personal choice, the environment, and genetics in order to develop programs that are relevant to the health of
families, communities, and populations. Their work promotes health and prevents disease within the communities
they serve.
Their work increases health knowledge through a variety of activities, including:
Outreach
Community education
Informal counseling
Social support
Advocacy
Community Health Jobs: Community Health Professionals in the Public Health Sector
Community health professionals are often referred to as health coaches, community health advisors, advocates,
educators, liaisons, promoters, outreach workers, peer counselors, patient navigators, and public health aides,
among others. However, there are a few professional titles that are most often associated with community health jobs
in public health:
Food Service Inspectors/Sanitarians
Sanitarians, also referred to as food service inspectors, are responsible for inspecting food service operators and
retail food establishments to ensure they are abiding by all laws and regulations regarding food storage, handling,
serving, and preparation. Sanitarians serve an important role in public health because they work to ensure a safe and
healthy food supply and reduce the number of people who are sickened from food-borne illnesses.
Patient Advocates
Patient advocates help patients understand and invoke their rights. Their responsibilities also include advocating for
patient rights and needs, protecting the confidentiality of patients through HIPAA, and advocating for the handicapped
to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Patient advocates educate and inform patients of policies, procedures, and systems and address their concerns
about care and safety within the public health facility. Their work involves being present to answer questions and
make recommendations or suggestions.
Patient advocates in public health also often work for nonprofit organizations, such as the American Cancer Society,
the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association, or for organizations that advocate for
patient safety, such as the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and the
National Patient Advocate Foundation. Further, there are a growing number of for-profit organizations that offer
services to patients in need of navigating the healthcare system or their personal health care.
Program Coordinators
Program coordinators are usually called upon to oversee public health programs. Their major responsibilities
generally include studying data to identify community needs and analyzing public health programs throughout their
implementation to review their effectiveness.
In short, these public health professionals are responsible for delegating, planning, implementing, and evaluating
programs, as well as assisting in the integration of research and best practices for specific programs in public health.
Their work involves developing program strategies, monitoring health and social trends, and analyzing program data
and related information.
Community health program coordinators:
Develop action plans to ensure the efficient implementation of public health programs
Oversee grant contracts and prepares reports regarding the program’s continuity
Provide technical assistance, consultation and guidance to health-related organizations, agencies,
institutions, and research entities to develop and improve public health studies, programs, strategies, and
services
Ensure the implementation of effective communication strategies designed to disseminate public health
information to specific populations
Education requirements for public health professionals have gradually moved from bachelor degrees to master’s
degrees, and the Master of Public Health (MPH) has become the norm for upper-level professionals in public health.