The public health advisor’s (PHA) main task is to act as an advisor in the eradication of diseases, prevent spread of disease, and discover the source of diseases that can threaten public health. Public health professionals from all disciplines and specialties may enter this exciting field, working as a public health advisor to protect public health from the ongoing cycle of diseases that need to be researched and controlled.
PHAs play a variety of roles in public health, including being the health advisor or mediator between people who have an interest in healthcare, and companies that provide healthcare. The public health advisor informs the public of healthcare plans, acts, and establishments. Some PHAs aid in developing databases, conferences and education programs and presentations. A public health advisor may travel to schools, workplaces, and other locations to help the community understand healthcare and public health better.
Public health advisors are responsible for helping the public understand laws related to health and healthcare, as well as regulations and stipulations pertaining to healthcare and public health. The PHA is counted on to help keep the community informed and educated on aspects of healthcare and public health that affect the community.
Public Health Advisor CDC
Public health advisors at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) work to investigate diseases and epidemics throughout the United States. Public health advisor CDC professionals travel and meet with public health departments, individuals and families, and healthcare facilities to determine similarities between individuals infected with particular diseases to determine how many people in a geographic area are infected. This information is reported to the CDC to help guide policies and research to prevent the spread of infection.
What is a public health advisor? Duties of a PHA may include: interviewing patients, gathering demographic data, providing education, report preparation, collaborating on policy initiative, managing public health programs, assessing and evaluating public health programs, and providing needed assistance to local and state governments in disease control and investigation.
How did the role of public health advisor come about?
A public health professional that has the title public health advisor, or PHA, is a type of public health worker established back in 1948 by the United States Public Health Service in the Venereal Disease Control Division. These days, a public health advisor is often hired by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), serving in a wide range of public health programs. In addition to serving as a public health advisor for the CDC, PHAs can work in a variety of settings both public and private.
How does one get started as a public health advisor?
Public health advisors play a unique role in public health, and begin at an entry level public health position doing “field work” or “contact epidemiology,” or interviewing and locating individuals exposed to an infectious disease and offering treatment to slow the spread of disease. Following the initial work experience, PHAs get exposure to a wide variety of public health programs across the country to gain understanding of how public health professionals function at all levels of the public health system. PHAs are called upon to respond to public health and humanitarian crises.
Education to become a public health advisor
The road to becoming a public health advisor starts with a bachelor’s degree. While a PHA may be considered an entry-level position, it requires the job holder to have a considerable grasp and understanding of public health issues and medicine. The majority of public health advisors have earned a bachelor’s degree, with many also having earned their master’s degree.
From nursing to epidemiology to biostatistics, public health advisors come from many areas of healthcare. Public health advisors are there to give opinion and educated information about public health and healthcare, and their varied backgrounds bring different and valuable perspectives.
Common areas focused on at the bachelor’s level are public health, public health education, health communication or community health. Having a master’s degree can often boost success as a job candidate. No matter what level of study, courses to prepare for work as a public health advisor should include subjects such as behavioral psychology, biology, epidemiology, public policy, and more.
Other training leading up to a role as a public health advisor
In addition to academic preparation, aspiring public health advisors can build a hearty resume by participating in internships and training programs through federal, state, or local public health agencies. Hospitals and universities also are a possible source of training opportunities. Aspiring public health advisors may benefit from research assistant experience, since research is often an important aspect of public health. A great deal of training for work as a public health advisor will be gained on the job, once that first position has been found.
What careers do people pursue after following their role as a public health advisor?
Following a stint as a public health advisor, you may ask what’s next. Some become public health analysts and are responsible for creating news releases, posters and fliers, and reports for the public. They typically have skills in project management and coordination as well as statistical and data analysis.
Another post-PHA job would be working as a public health consultant. Public health consultants share their healthcare expertise to provide advice to both lead public health programs and policy-making that has an impact on public health.
A public health case manager uses their expertise to provide health education,and disease prevention, minimization and control. Public health case managers do assessments, examine diagnoses, complete evaluations, and participate in care planning. They may work in a healthcare system or government health agency.
What kind of characteristics and skills do public health advisors often have?
Effective public health advisors typically have common characteristics including reliability, ability to work independently, ability to collaborate with other healthcare professionals, and great attention to detail.
PHAs have a thorough understanding of medical and healthcare issues, and are able to communicate public health information effectively in the community. Public health advisors often find themselves needing to do public speaking to communicate findings, policies, and other things related to public health within a community.
Public health advisor job description: What are the roles and responsibilities of a public health advisor?
While specific tasks performed as a public health advisor will vary, there are many roles and responsibilities that are typical and can be expected. A public health advisor can expect to act as a link between federal public health agencies and non-federal agencies to help ensure proper funneling of funding and technical assistance so that programs run smoothly.
The public health advisor works to match public health resources, including financial, manpower, and programming, to meet local and state needs. Public health advisors assist in the transmission of federal public health objectives into effective programs, improving community health and quality of life.
Public health advisor job description: What kind of public health programming might a public health advisor play a role in?
Public health advisors are often called upon to play a significant role in planning and implementing public health programs that facilitate the health and well-being of the public.
They may implement programs directly related to preventing, controlling and eradicating diseases of all kinds. These types of programs can pertain to immunizations to prevent spread of contagious disease, rodent control in urban areas, lead poison prevention, or sexually transmitted disease control.
Programs that provide public health education and services to programs for migrant workers, maternal and child health, family planning, and community health centers can be run by the public health advisor. They may also help supply healthcare in underserved communities.
PHAs may be involved in programs facilitating healthcare system development, emergency medical systems, and health maintenance organizations. Programs that pertain to substance abuse and mental health treatment are often spearheaded by public health advisors. Public health advisors may also play a role in healthcare facility development, health data systems, and many types of special public health programs.
Job outlook for public health advisors
Healthcare continues to be the fastest-growing industry. It is growing much faster than all other industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand for Public Health Advisors is expected to continue to grow as pandemics and infectious diseases such as COVID, HIV and AIDS continue to be a public health threat. Being a Public Health Advisor can put you on the front lines of disease control and prevention.
What is the salary for a public health advisor?
The salary for public health advisors varies greatly depending on education, experience, location and job responsibilities. Glassdoor reports an average yearly salary of $75,414 for a Public Health Advisor. Payscale.com reports an average yearly salary of $62,941 for a Public Health Advisor. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median salary of $48,140 per year. (Median salary is the wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.)
Why pursue a career in public health as a public health advisor?
Public Health is a quickly growing field with a broad focus of protecting the health of populations by preventing diseases and promoting health. Professionals in public health help to confront complex health issues, control infectious diseases, and reduce environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, injuries and many other public health issues. Public health professionals can come from many educational backgrounds and can concentrate in a variety of fields. Working as a public health advisor can be a satisfying role in public health.
Should I pursue an advanced public health degree to become a public health advisor?
Public health is a broad field, offering job opportunities to those with a variety of interests, experience and skills. Whether you are math-oriented, people-focused, business-oriented, or research-based, public health has something for you. People in public health typically gain satisfaction in working to improve the health and lives of others, and although an advanced degree in public health is often not needed to get your foot in the door, having the knowledge and skills an advanced degree ensures will likely be an advantage in pursuing a public health advisor position.
What is the professional organization for public health?
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the organization for public health professionals. APHA’s vision is to “create the healthiest nation in one generation.” APHA promotes the health of people and communities, promoting evidence-based perspectives to develop a healthier society. APHA brings together public health professionals from all areas of public health, and works to have an effect on public health policy at the federal level. Their mission is to improve the health of the public and achieve health equity, and APHAs values reflect the beliefs of their members from all disciplines of public health from over 40 countries.
Conclusion
If you have a desire to work within the public health sector, then working as a public health advisor may be a satisfying role. Now that you have a good understanding of what a public health advisor does, you may want to investigate further if this is the right job for you to pursue. This rewarding career may be suitable for you.
By Carol Dolan BS RN BSN CDCES
September 2021
Carol graduated with her BS in Nutrition from Montclair State University and her BSN in Nursing from Rowan University. She is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) currently working with adults and children living with diabetes in both outpatient and inpatient settings.