Public Health: Discovering the Big Picture in Health Care

Public Health: Discovering the Big Picture in Health Care is a semester-long high school course that discusses the multiple definitions of public health and the ways these definitions are put into practice. The five core disciplines and ways they interact to reduce disease, injury and death in populations is explored. By understanding the roles of public health, students gain a greater appreciation for its importance and the various occupations one could pursue within the field of public health. Students explore the history, nature and context of the public health system. Students also learn how to promote public health, and how to coordinate a response to a public health emergency. Students explore how diseases spread and learn about the roles of the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. By entering the field of public health, students play an integral part in improving the health and lives of many people.