PUBLIC HEALTH
PLANNING PROGRAM
Morgan State University has received a grant from the Kellogg Foundation
to be used to plan a graduate program in public health. You may be wondering
whether this is something that should be important to you. If you are
interested in:
- Biology Human Ecology
- Chemistry Mental Health
- Community Health Education Pre-Physical Therapy
- Economics Psychology
- Environmental Health Sociology
- Finance Social Work
- Health Administration Telecommunications
You might want to consider the opportunities available within the realm
of public health.
Public Health is one of the fastest-growing fields, accounting for nearly
12.7% of job growth nationwide from 1983-1994. Through 2005, public health
is expected to account for 61,000 new jobs in Maryland and 17.9% of job
growth nationwide. Job settings include:
- Government Agencies Pharmaceutical Firms Hospital Supply Firms
- Business and Industry International Health Orgnaization Clinics
- Voluntary Health Agencies Managed Care Organizations Health Insurance
Companies
- Advocacy Groups Colleges and Universities Consulting Firms
- Health Marketing Groups Professional Associations Social Service
Agencies
Work-in-Progress
Significant long term demographic, social and economic trends and morbidity
and mortality patterns are enlarging the demand for health services and
altering the character of that demand.
The Issues
Demographic trends, including shifts in the racial composition of the
resident population, are expanding and lending weight in the health services
system to groups with new and greater needs or with needs that have so
far been inadequately addressed. Already evident is a third generation
of diseases: environmentally-provoked illness; new and emerging infections
and sociobehavioral pathologies -- some physical, some psychological,
some both. They range from violent and aggressive behaviors to drug abuse
to mental and psychosocial illness. Simultaneously, there is continuing
need to overcome the first (malnutrition, reproductive risks, and common
childhood infections) and second (heart disease, cancer) generations of
health problems. There are also such health issues as equitable access
to health services as well as related issues concerning social and economic
development.
The boundaries of the health professions are also changing faster now
than at any time in the past century. These changes are creating growing
demands for skills of collaborations, effective communications and teamwork.
New challenges and opportunities for many health professionals are also
being created by these changes.
The System
Medical care is becoming more oriented toward health, stressing disease
and injury prevention, health promotion, elimination of environmental
and occupational risk factors for disease and dysfunction, as well as
individual responsibility for health-related behaviors. The system is
also focusing more attention on risk factors affecting a substantial segment
of the community, including issues of the social environment. Within the
system there is a growing awareness that health services are interdependent
with other domestic issues of education, economic productivity and social
welfare and internationally interdependent with health systems in other
countries.
The Program
To help meet the need for health professionals who possess competencies
for effective prevention and control of complex public health problems
involving interrelated social, behavioral, medical, and economic issues,
Morgan State University has been awarded a 2-year planning grant by the
W. K. Kellogg Foundation aimed at strengthening its capacity in the community
health sciences.
One approach to capacity-building would be to provide an integrated education
in the community health sciences: concepts, theory, policy, planning,
and administration as relates to the management of public health problems.
A program leading to the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree would be
structured to accommodate a diversity of backgrounds (biology, chemistry,
health education, human ecology, social work, psychology, sociology, economics,
finance). It would have an emphasis on educating practitioners for community-based
work in urban areas and on meeting the changing demands in public health
and preventive medicine in minority communities.
Employment Trends
The most recent U.S. Labor Department projections are that strong growth
is expected in health service employment because of demand pressures.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, health service employment grew
at an annual rate of 3.8 percent, compared with 2.1 percent for total
nonfarm job growth. Health services employment has grown from 6 million
in 1983 to 9 million in 1995 and is projected to increase to 12.1 million
employees.
The growth in health service employment accounted for 12.7 percent of
total nonfarm job growth during the 1983-1994 period, and is expected
to account for 17.9 percent of the growth through 2005.
Job Settings
- Federal, State, and local public health and social service agencies
- Pharmaceutical and hospital supply firms
- Industry and business
- International health organizations
- Professional associations
- Voluntary health agencies
- Managed care organizations
- Colleges and universities
- Consulting firms
- Health marketing groups
- Hospitals and clinics
- Health insurance companies
- Community-based health advocacy organizations
Health Related Internet Sites
Examples of current job opportunities (published in the American
Journal of Public Health, January, 1997):
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