While healthcare focuses on individual patients, public health focuses on protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy behaviors, disease prevention, and the control of environmental factors.

Key components include:

• Promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyles through education, campaigns, and community outreach. This includes initiatives to encourage exercise, healthy eating,smoking cessation, and the reduction of substance abuse.
• Preventing the spread of diseases through vaccination programs, disease surveillance, and implementing measures to control outbreaks.
• Addressing environmental factors that can affect health, such as air and water quality, and exposure to hazardous substances. Efforts in this area seek to minimize environmental risks and promote healthful living environments.
• Working with community partners to ensure healthcare services can reach the entire community.
• Developing plans to address emergency situations such as operating special needs shelters during hurricanes.

Learn more about the services we provide by taking a tour of our website, and if you would like to join our public health team, we have many positions available. You can find a listing here.