In 1900, life expectancy at birth was about 50 years. Today it's about 80. Medical advances account for less than four of those additional years. Public health initiatives, however, account for about 25.

Public health focuses on protecting the health of entire populations. "We're concerned with preventing illness and injury associated with communicable diseases and environmental health threats," explains Allain Hankey, manager of Hennepin County Public Health Protection.

Broad Scope

The scope of public health is so broad that a complete description of current initiatives is virtually impossible. Hankey, for example, oversees county programs that include emergency medical services, restaurant inspections and public health clinics for people with tuberculosis.

Hennepin County public health workers also track infant immunizations, identify and remediate health hazards like garbage houses, and are responsible for the surveillance, investigation and control of outbreaks of infectious diseases like measles.

Opportunities

Public health workers include:

Epidemiologists. They investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases, track environmental hazards and monitor the incidence of chronic conditions like diabetes 2. They design studies, collect and analyze data, and develop statistical models. Epidemiologists need a master's degree.

Community health planners. They design services to control disease and promote health, such as campaigns to promote seat belt use or services for persons with HIV/AIDS. They also prepare for emergencies like pandemic flu or the recent collapse of the I-35 bridge. Most planners have a master's degree.

Public health nurses. They carry out a wide variety of public health initiatives, such as staffing clinics for homeless families, providing case management for TB patients or screening children for lead poisoning. In large-scale emergencies, they may do health education, provide one-on-one consulting, set up immunization clinics or staff hot lines. Nurses need a bachelor's or graduate degree in nursing, with additional course work in public health.

Community health workers. These entry-level paraprofessionals do data entry and follow-up calling. They also explain government benefits to families, serve as cultural liaisons and provide other assistance in other areas. They need a high school education and some health-related work experience.

Bilingualism - especially in Spanish, Somali or Oromo - is a plus for all public county health workers.