By Dr. Ashley Love
Faculty Member, Public Health at American Public University
The field of public health is comprised of myriad health professionals who have dedicated their lives to improve the quality of health for the population. Popular media generally focuses attention on worst-case public health scenarios like those portrayed in the movies “Contagion” and “Outbreak.” In contrast, the public health activities that are performed on a regular basis tend to go unnoticed until something goes wrong.
The traditional role of public health has not changed since its inception; however, the focus of public health has shifted to bioterrorism and disaster preparedness after the events of September 11, 2001. When I started in the field of public health in the 90s, HIV/AIDS was one of the main focuses in public health. I was working as a research nutritionist with the HIV/AIDS population in the infectious clinic at Harlem Hospital in Harlem, NY. At that time, contracting HIV was a death sentence and the idea of living decades with this condition was unfathomable. I worked closely with physicians, nurses, and health educators to help patients and family members to understand and to monitor the disease while contributing to ongoing HIV/AIDS research. This inspired me to further my education in public health to provide service to the community.
My graduate training in public health led me to follow various paths over the course of my career. One of the most memorable positions was being the state epidemiologist and the bureau chief of epidemiology for the State of Delaware. I worked closely with policy makers, community and business leaders, medical organizations, universities, hospital administrators, as well as many other entities in the state to ensure the health and safety of the population. I was in frequent communication with the CDC and the other state epidemiologists in the country to monitor any unusual activities.
We managed numerous outbreaks in the state and prevented the spread of many potential diseases on a daily basis. We worked hand in hand with restaurant inspections, immunization programs, environmental protection, maternal and child health initiatives, adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, HIV/AIDS Ryan White programs, and other programs to ensure the protection of the community. Our preparedness and capabilities were put to the test in 2009 after the outbreak of H1N1 was identified at the University of Delaware.
I also worked to find grant funding and sources to supplement our budget. Educating the public was an important goal so we provided lectures, state wide media campaigns, and other briefings to targeted audiences. The solid foundation and training that I received from my graduate training in public health helped me to be a better public health official and leader.
Many of the public health workers in local, state, and federal levels are retiring, and there is a need for well-trained public health workers to replace them. New fields such as public health informatics, genetic epidemiology, and forensic epidemiology are blossoming due to the amazing discoveries in technology and medicine.
There are some great opportunities for students thinking about entering into the public health field with a degree in public health. A public heath degree provides the learning foundation for a wide range of careers in the field.
About the Author:
Dr. Ashley Love was the State Epidemiologist and Bureau Chief of Epidemiology for the State of Delaware. She also held academic positions in the medical school and universities in Texas and NY as well as worked in hospital, community, school, military and laboratory settings. She has worked on numerous grants and was awarded grants from National Institutes of Health, Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, and other state/local organizations. She received her bachelors, masters of science, masters of public health, and doctorate of public health from Columbia University in New York City, NY. Dr. Love currently lives in Europe with her family, while her husband is serving as an officer in the U.S. military.
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