A Guide to What You Should Know:

How to Prepare forToday’s EmergingPublic HealthTrends

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The public health landscape is rapidly evolving.

Within the first half of 2018 alone:

» Apple launched Health Records, a feature

that aggregates existing patient-generated

data with information from a user’s electronic

medical record, enabling patients to gain a

more holistic view of their health—all from

their smartphone;

» Amazon acquired PillPack, an online pharmacy

that lets users buy medication in pre-made

doses while also coordinating refills and

renewals;

» Microsoft established a team dedicated to

healthcare innovation; and

» Google published research that highlighted

how its artificial intelligence software could

predict patient outcomes more accurately than

medical professionals.

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“Apple is not about iPods anymore,” says Dr. Neil

Maniar, director of Northeastern University’s Master of

Public Health (MPH) program. “Companies like Amazon,

Apple, and Google have the potential to change the face

of how we view and practice public health.”

But technology is just one of many factors influencing

the field. The United States’ changing demographics

and aging baby boomers are having just as much of

an effect. By 2030, one in every five people will be

66 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau,

posing challenges to healthcare providers, public

policy makers, and programs like Medicare and Social

Security.

“We need to rethink our approaches to population

health,” says Alison Gillis, program manager for

Northeastern’s MPH. “What we’ve done previously isn’t

going to work.”

Which is why now is the time to join the public

health field. There’s a need for new leaders who are

passionate about social justice and health equity—

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who see the potential of emerging technologies and

can apply them to break down geographic disparities

and improve patient outcomes.

“I really don’t think there has ever been a more

exciting, more challenging, or more important time

for individuals to enter the public health field,” Maniar

says. “This is the opportunity to save many, many lives

all at once.”

If you’re interested in seizing that opportunity, the following information is a closer look at trends impacting the field, skills you need to tackle those issues, and positions you can pursue that are helping shape the future of public health.

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How Is the Public Health Landscape Evolving?

Public health—defined by the Center for Disease

Control and Prevention as “the science of protecting and

improving the health of people and their communities”—

is in constant flux. As the global environment changes,

so do the challenges and opportunities within that

environment.

The public health field encompasses a broad range of

topics, including:

» Promoting healthy lifestyles

» Educating communities about the dangers of

opioid, tobacco, and alcohol use

» Establishing new ways to deliver clean water

» Improving sanitation

» Detecting, preventing, and controlling disease

outbreaks

» Reducing gun violence

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» Providing underserved populations with access to

fresh produce

» Developing safe housing to reduce the risks that

come from poor ventilation, pest infestation, lead

poisoning, and water leaks

Public health professionals work to improve communities

locally and abroad by implementing educational

programs, drafting public health policies and plans,

conducting research, administering services, and

establishing community partnerships.

It’s important for professionals to understand how the

public health landscape is evolving, however, so that they

can effectively address population needs. Here are five

trends currently impacting public health.

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Of the nearly $2.6 trillion that the United States

spends annually on healthcare, only about three

percent is allocated to public health, according

to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

What’s more, in 2017, funding for disease

prevention and health promotion programs

declined by approximately $580 million.

“Our public health needs continue to grow,” Maniar

says. “The resources to address those needs are

under constant pressure, however. It’s critical that

we not only frame issues like gun violence and

opioid abuse as core public health priorities, but

also focus on the changing political environment

and its impact on funding levels for public health

programs and services.”

For example, the U.S. gun homicide rate peaked

in 1980 and again in the early 1990s, according

to Pew Research Center. Yet gun violence is a

problem that persists today. Since the Sandy Hook

1 Limited Resources to Address Public Health Needs

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Elementary School Shooting in 2012, nearly 1,700

mass shootings have occurred, taking more than

1,900 lives and wounding 7,100 others. Despite

those numbers, the U.S. Department of Education’s

Federal Commission on School Safety has said

it will not focus on the role guns play in school

violence.

“Gun violence has been a public health issue for

many, many years,” Maniar says. “Unfortunately,

we continue to see approaches to resolve this

public health crisis that fail to take into account

some of the most central factors related to gun

violence, and we continue to fight for resources to

better understand the etiology of gun violence.”

Between already limited resources and vastly

varied views on how the country should prioritize

and focus on emerging needs, today’s public health

professionals face a series of complex challenges.

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As companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and

Microsoft have already shown: Technology can

significantly impact public health. In 2017 alone,

the global wearables market grew 17 percent, with

more than 310 million devices sold. For public

health professionals, that increase translates into

mountains of data they can leverage to help predict

and prevent issues like diabetes and cardiovascular

disease.

Technology has enabled doctors to diagnosis and

treat patients living in remote, rural areas through

videoconferencing software. It’s enabled the

launch of virtual-care clinics and electronic medical

records, and improved individuals’ access to

healthcare professionals through the use of mobile

applications. It’s spawned predictive analytics

that help hospitals prevent diseases and improve

patient care.

2 The Adaptation of New Technologies

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Despite all of technology’s benefits, pharmaceutical

and medical device companies, as well as the

public sector, are lagging behind other industries in

their digitization efforts, according to McKinsey.

“We have tools available to us now to tackle these

public health issues and break down geographic

disparities,” Maniar says. “Now we need to have a

public health workforce who can see the relevancy

of these technologies and apply them in innovative

and impactful ways.”

But what that public health workforce focuses on

could vary in scope and discipline. Over the last

two decades, the definition of “public health” has

evolved far beyond healthcare. Environmental

threats, food security, gun violence, affordable

housing, and economic development policies all fall

under the public health domain.

3 An Expansive View of Public Health

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By 2035, older people are expected to outnumber

children for the first time in U.S. history. As more

baby boomers enter retirement age, the bigger the

strain on existing healthcare systems. It’s estimated

that retiring baby boomers will double Medicaid

and Medicare costs by 2020.

But baby boomers represent only one part of

the shift: By 2050, minorities are projected to be

the majority in the United States. Over the next

30 years, the Hispanic population will nearly

triple, from 46.7 million to 132.8 million, and the

African American and Asian-American populations

will become 15 percent and nine percent of the

population, respectively.

4 Shifting Demographics

“People are viewing the field of public health as

something that’s expansive,” Maniar says, noting

how work in law, business, or pharmaceuticals

could overlap with public health. “It’s a field that

encompasses many different disciplines.”

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As the population evolves, so will public health

needs and resources.

“We need to keep in mind someone’s age and

cultural background,” Gillis says. “We want to

value where people are coming from and have an

effective intervention.”

As demographics shift, it’s important to consider

the role of the social determinants of health,

defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)

as “the conditions in which people are born, grow,

live, work, and age.”

Initiatives like Healthy People 2020, established

by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health

Promotion, are designed to identify ways to create

social and physical environments that enable

everyone to live healthier lives—not just those in

particular states, cities, or income brackets.

5 A More Prominent Focus on the Social Determinants of Health

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For example, poor housing conditions cause

indoor pollutants that can lead to cardiovascular

and respiratory diseases, such as asthma, which

affects more than 20 million Americans and is the

most common chronic disease among children

worldwide. In developing countries, substandard

living conditions can be lethal: An estimated

two million people die from indoor air pollution,

according to WHO.

Primary care physicians are starting to focus more

on the social determinants of health, Maniar

says. By making it a part of standard operating

procedure, doctors can better predict diseases and

prevent outcomes from happening later in life.

“By having an MPH, you demonstrate a commitment to helping people live healthier lives. The degree positions graduates to go on and change the world.”

— Alison Gillis, program manager for Northeastern’s MPH

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What Skills Do You Need to Successfully Tackle Public Health Issues?

If you are inspired to tackle these issues and enter the

public health field, there are a set of core competencies,

according to Maniar and Gillis, that will help you succeed.

Those skills include:

Cross-Cultural Communication

As the world becomes more global and communities

increasingly diverse, it’s important for public health

professionals to communicate effectively with a wide

variety of people from different backgrounds and

disciplines.

“Public health is collaborative,” Gillis says. The more

communities, policy makers, and public health advocates

work together, the bigger their impact. By knowing how

to actively listen, empathize, and communicate across

cultures, the easier making and facilitating change will be.

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Ability to Advocate on Behalf of Public HealthWhile it’s important for public health professionals to

understand the root cause of an issue, it’s no longer

enough—particularly in a polarized political environment

where policy makers regularly disagree on how to

address public health concerns.

“Public health professionals need to have the political

acumen to advocate on behalf of public health to people

who have different opinions and worldviews,” Gillis says.

“They need to be intelligent, convincing, and compelling.”

Which is where having a passion for public health

can help.

A Passion for Public Health So many of the challenges facing public health can’t be

solved overnight. Successfully implementing programs

and administering services could take years, which is why

it’s critical for public practitioners to stay optimistic, be

resilient, and keep fighting to make change—no matter

how small.

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“So much of the work in public health is trying to tackle

issues and implement programs where you might not

see the result for many years,” Maniar says. “Public

practitioners are not going to have an immediate sense of

gratification. They need to look at issues from a long-term

perspective.”

Know-How to Deconstruct Complex Issues Because the issues facing public health are often large

and complex, individuals in the field need to know how

to deconstruct problems into smaller, addressable

components.

Maniar uses the opioid crisis as an example: More than

115 people die daily in the United States from an opioid

overdose. Each case and cause is unique, and could be

approached in a variety of different ways. Policy makers

have suggested solutions that range from creating

prevention facilities to establishing a prescription drug

monitoring program (PDMP) that electronically collects

data on substances dispensed statewide.

Each solution addresses the problem in a small, albeit

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meaningful way, and could have a positive impact on

local communities. Getting to those solutions, however,

requires public practitioners to think analytically and

creatively, Maniar says, to effectively deconstruct these

complex issues and address the most modifiable causes.

Desire to Pursue Lifelong Learning As the public health landscape evolves, the types of

challenges that emerge and the magnitude of those

issues will change as well. It’s important for public

health practitioners to continually update their skills and

knowledge base.

“As our understanding evolves, our ability to successfully

prevent an outcome, like an opioid overdose, gun-related

fatality, or a heart attack, also changes,” Maniar says.

“The field of public health encompasses so much that

you’re always able to learn something new and apply

something new.”

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(Source, Year)

What Careers Are Shaping Public Health?

Because the field of public health is so expansive,

individuals working in the field can pursue a variety

of different career paths within healthcare, business,

technology, analytics, public policy, and science.

Some of the most popular positions among public

health professionals include:

Healthcare administrators oversee the

daily operations of a hospital, research

lab, physician practice, or other

healthcare facility. They develop

organizational goals, manage the facility’s

budget and finances, and work to ensure patients are

receiving quality, efficient care and that the organization

is compliant with changing laws and regulations.

Healthcare Administrators

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 20%

(BLS, 2018)

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Epidemiologists study the patterns and

causes of disease and aim to improve

public health outcomes by publishing

research, establishing community

education programs, or developing

new health policies. They collect, analyze, and

communicate data to health practitioners, policymakers,

and the public, and work to prevent future outbreaks.

Epidemiologists

(Source, Year)

These managers supervise social service

programs and community outreach

organizations, such as substance abuse

clinics, homeless shelters, and mental

health facilities. They often oversee

budgets, write grant and funding proposals, recruit and

train volunteers and staff members, and plan initiatives to

increase awareness and support of their programs.

Social and Community Service Managers

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 9%

(BLS, 2018)

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 18%

(BLS, 2018)

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Dieticians promote better health by

assessing patients’ nutritional needs

and counseling clients on healthy eating

habits. They create personalized meal

plans for patients, track clients’ progress,

and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to

coordinate and improve patient care. They might also

establish educational workshops or plan food programs

in hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities.

Dieticians and Nutritionists

(Source, year)

(Source, Year)

These counselors advise patients who

suffer from alcoholism, mental health

issues, drug addiction, eating disorders,

or other behavioral problems. They

evaluate patients’ health, recommend

treatment programs, educate family members on how

to support loved ones with addiction or behavioral

disorders, and refer clients to other services, such as job

placement organizations and support groups.

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 15%

(BLS, 2018)

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 23%

(BLS, 2018)

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Registered nurses (RNs) assess the

health of patients, provide patient care,

record symptoms and analyze tests, and

administer medicines and treatments.

They also offer emotional support and

guidance to patients and their loved ones, as well as

consult with doctors and prepare patients to live at

home once their treatment is over.

Registered Nurses

(Source, year)

(Source, Year)

Health information technicians organize,

analyze, and report health information

data. They review patient records to

ensure all data is accurate and secure,

track patient outcomes, and code and

categorize data for insurance reimbursement purposes

and to maintain clients’ treatment and medical histories.

Medical Records and Health Information Technicians

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 15%

(BLS, 2018)

Estimated Job Growth by 2026: 13%

(BLS, 2018)

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Why Pursue a Master of Public Health?

For those interested in breaking into the field or

advancing their career, a Master of Public Health

can help.

“It has wide applicability across a number of disciplines

and professions,” Gillis says. “It’s a skills-based degree,

and those skills are readily transferable.”

Over the course of Maniar’s 20-year public health career,

he’s created a statewide youth violence prevention

program, established partnerships and strategies to

address disparities in infant mortality, and is now focused

on improving outcomes related to cancer prevention,

screening, intervention, and survivorship.

“The skills and knowledge base that I gained from one

position were easily transferable to another opportunity

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within the field,” Maniar says. “That gives you a powerful

way to think about problems and solutions to those

problems.”

At Northeastern, students immerse themselves in the

field and gain firsthand experience by completing a

200-hour internship with a public health organization.

Through that work, students are able to apply lessons

learned in the classroom and develop effective solutions

for the real world.

“By having an MPH, you demonstrate a commitment to

helping people live healthier lives,” Gillis says. “The degree

positions graduates to go on and change the world.”

An estimated 2.4 million new healthcare jobs will emerge by 2026.

(BLS, 2017)

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“

An Insider Perspective Are you interested in earning your master’s degree?

That decision is one recent Northeastern alumni have

considered themselves. Here’s why they chose to pursue

their Master of Public Health and how it’s advanced

their career:

I don’t like being idle. So the fact that I can change and do whatever I want to do but still be doing public health is really attractive to me. My MPH degree is still manifesting itself—it’s a process and a trajectory. At this point in the journey, I feel like I’m more of an efficient worker, and I know exactly what I want to do.

Adrianna Boulin, ’16, research assistant II at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and founder of JAMAKIN ME SMART, Incorporated

“I had been working in public health research for 15 years before I pursued my MPH. When I came across Northeastern’s program, I was excited. It was dedicated to reducing health disparities and inequities in urban settings, and that was exactly what I had been looking for. Receiving an MPH through Northeastern has made me a more competent and confident public health professional. I have the skills necessary to successfully work and collaborate with community partners to help reduce health disparities and inequities.

Suzanne Garverich, ’17, research project manager at Northeastern’s Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice

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“

I chose to pursue my MPH after discovering the importance of public health during my undergraduate studies in Northeastern’s health science program. I realized that in order to effect real change beyond the bedside of an individual patient, it’s important to understand the bigger picture of what ‘healthcare’ actually is. In my current role at Cataldo Ambulance Service, my understanding of public health is an important part of my ability to recognize system flaws and inefficiencies and come up with solutions that improve the service we can provide directly to patients, as well as to contracted hospitals and other medical facilities.

DJ Corey, ’15, clinical field supervisor/shift commander for Cataldo Ambulance Service and program director for Northeastern’s EMT course

Employment for healthcare administrators is projected to grow 20% by 2026—much faster than the national average.

(BLS, 2018)

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Are You Ready to Shape the Future of Public Health?

To learn more about the Northeastern experience, including the Master of Public Health program, visit northeastern.edu/graduate or connect with our team to receive personalized advice.

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