Community Health Vs Public Health

There are many benefits of focusing public health practice on higher levels of the social-ecological model versus the individual/interpersonal level. While the individual and interpersonal levels are important and necessary, personal behaviors are hard to change. Public health practices are focused on the greater good of the community, than the good of the individual, as seen in medicine. Two benefits to this higher level of attention are government development and implementation of policies that benefit an entire nation and improving community standards that enhance an entire population versus one person. One of the greatest developments in the last ten years of the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio government was the implementation …show more content…
Whether a community has been established for hundreds of years or in new to the map, there are many ways to supportively improve the public health practices. Interventions need to be made available for alcohol, obesity, violence, cancer, cardiovascular health and emergency preparedness. Community officials and leaders need to encompass the 10 domains setup by the CDC , in order to match the necessary interventions and incorporate the public health standards needed to improve their community. Assessments focused on population health and public health issues facing the community is the first step in this process. Next, health problems must be investigated, followed by and education on known public health issues. Engaging the community to identify and address the problems in the next step. Developing public health policies and enforce public health laws are the subsequent phases developed by the CDC. Finally, promotion of strategies to improve access to health services, continuously improving health interventions and applying the evidence based public health practices are the final stages. With adequate development and application, these actions will be beneficial to the public health of the …show more content…
My current volunteer role in my rural town, has opened my eyes to the need for improved prevention campaigns at the community level. These campaigns impact families, social systems, relationships at the interpersonal level. They also have the ability to influence the knowledge and practices of an individual. This approach aligns with my desire to work at a WIC office when I relocate to Florida this spring. Improving health outcomes for pregnant women, increasing the rate of breastfeeding mothers and the length of time a woman exclusively breastfeeds are all public health issues I am truly interested in. If I am unable to obtain a job in the in a WIC office, I would volunteer to provide peer support and help women find necessary social