The P's of Public Health

Public Health Is For Everyone, Everywhere, & Everyday: We Protect, Promote, Prevent, Provide, & Partner So You Will Prosper

Examples of Activities

Population – change interventions that focus on: groups (families or classes at risk in certain places or with certain health status problems; systems in terms of organizations, policies, laws, power structures; and communities regarding awareness and/or norms

Protection – emergency preparedness/response, food-borne illness & other communicable outbreak investigations, indoor no-smoking ordinances, seatbelt campaigns, vector control with mosquito spraying

Promotion – WIC nutrition classes and food supplement vouchers, diabetes self-management education, wellness education/counseling, 5 A Day/ 5 A Week Project, 10,000 Steps Program, smoking cessation classes

Prevention – childhood immunizations, dental sealants for 2nd & 3rd graders, fluoridation, syringe exchange program & Narcan distribution

Provision – family planning for men and women, STD/HIV & TB testing/treatment services, breast & cervical cancer screening; care coordination services for children/youth with special health care needs (CMS) and for prenatal care (Families FIRST); safety net clinical services like OB care, homeless clinic, mobile clinic for certain populations and places; vital records (birth & death certificates), special studies (seroprevalence, BRFSS)

Partnerships – referral networks, interagency grant applications; contracts & provider agreements, councils/coalitions/consortia; participation in UNMHSC Project ECHO for Hepatitis C

Prosperity – economic development and social justice impact; reducing drop-outs in high school, voter registration, transportation systems, training healthcare students (nurses & physicians), policy advocacy with elected officials, PE/MOSSA