A public health information officer is the official spokesperson and communications coordinators governmental organizations, such as city councils, school district offices and state health departments. They do not have medical responsibilities, but instead provide information to the media and public as dictated by laws and standards.
Community-Based Public Health Information Officer
A community-based public health information officer is tasked with reducing, controlling and preventing the occurrence of communicable diseases and illnesses in assigned communities. They work with an elite team of researchers, epidemiologists and health care providers to collectively apply preventive and public health techniques to manage communicable disease outbreaks. They promote the principles of public health through openly monitoring disease trends, participating in the inspection of public facilities and enforcing safety practices and standards. Depending on their training, they may direct programs, speak at conferences and oversee medical outreach programs. These public health information officers usually have an accredited master of science in public health. They coordinate public health services with agencies and health care providers through providing on-going updates and support.
Public Health Information Officer – Media Representative
Certain public health information officers only deal with information technology and media and community outreach programs. They work under the administrative direction of state health and human services agencies. They plan, organize and supervise communication programs that focus on gathering and sharing public health data. They regularly provide consultations to citizens, public officials and community organizations regarding public health issues and preventative medicine programs. They act as medical advisers to the city administration or county service departments through promoting legal mandates, health codes and public health initiatives. During serious public health pandemics, they act as the communication liaison between hospitals, community organizations, government agencies and the public in general.
Training and Education
Public health information officers may start out working in the field of public information with a bachelor’s degree and a few years of experience. Their academic studies should be related to public health, relations, education and human services. They should also be familiar with medicine, management and information technology. Most public health information officers have a master’s degree in public health or health information management. This last degree teaches students how to design and manage health information and communication systems. Students learn about strategic management, record documentation and electronic health record systems. They also learn about health care research, statistics, informatics, infrastructure and database development.
Job Qualifications for a Public Health Officer
Public health information officers are either required to maintain certification through their local public health board or seek voluntary certification through independent accrediting agencies, such as the National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC). They offer a Certified Communicator in Public Health (CCPH) credentialing program that requires candidates to have at least a bachelor’s degree with two years of work experience. On the other hand, there are certain job qualifications that guarantee a strong performance in the field of public health information. Impeccable communication skills are the most important skills of a public health information officer because they conduct high media profile interviews and press conferences. They need good organizational and project management skills to successfully plan and implement public health campaigns and programs.
Related Resource: Emergency Management Jobs in Public Health
Public health information officer are public service professionals who deal with everything from disease outbreaks to environmental health to emergency planning and public health education.