Public Health Program

A message from our partners at the Frederick County Health Department

Public Health News

Spring 2021

The Public Health Program in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Frederick County Department of Health are working in support of a national initiative dubbed MASCUP, to prevent and reduce the transmission of COVID-19 across institutions of higher education (IHE) campuses. Currently on Hood’s campus, students enrolled in the Public Health 102: U.S. Health Care Delivery course are conducting an observational study per CDC’s guidance to assess mask adherence among other students: proportion of masks worn, proportion of correct mask usage, proportion of type of mask worn. The 10-week health policy project, which received Institutional Review Board approval, is led by the principal investigator and public health program director, Dr. Sherita Henry. The CDC MASCUP initiative allows students to gain public health field experience and is further supported by the Department of Nursing and Hood College’s leadership team

Summer Research Institute 2021

The next cycle of the Frederick County Community Health Assessment will begin this summer with a survey to identify the top ten health issues in the county. Hood Public Health students Olga Dunlap and Abby Mayes will be working with faculty Dr. Jennifer Cooper and the Frederick County Health Department to develop and implement this survey and analyze and disseminate results. This experience allows Hood Public Health faculty and students to assist Frederick County Health Department with this process, while providing students with an emersion experience in public health. Students will see public health in action, which is beneficial to the development of the future public health workforce.

What is Public Health?

While MEDICAL PROVIDERS look at the health of individuals, PUBLIC HEALTH looks at the health of a community.

• Watch What is Public Health? from the American Public Health Association.
• Hood College launches Public Health Program, featured on WDVM News (March 2020) 

Vision:  To prevent, promote and protect the health of communities.

Mission:  To prepare students for professional practice in public health through a liberal arts education as the foundation that incorporates generalist public health professional competencies.

Values:

• Diversity, inclusion, social justice, & health equity
• Collaboration with public health professionals and community partners
• Strengthening public health capacity
• Providing excellence in education for current and future public health professionals

Program Outcomes for Bachelor of Arts in Public Health

1. Examine concepts and applications of basic statistics. (Courses:  PH 202)
2. Discuss the foundations of biological and life sciences and the concepts of health and disease (Courses:  PH 101, 205)
3. Describe the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society. (Courses:  PH 101)
4. Explain the basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice. (Courses:  PH 101)
5. Use concepts of population health, and apply the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations. (Courses:  PH 101)
6. Discuss the underlying science of human health and disease including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course. (Courses:  PH 101)
7. Differentiate the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities (Courses:  PH 101)
8. Distinguish fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation. (Courses:  PH 101)
9. Compare the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the US health system as well as the differences in systems in other countries. (Courses:  PH 102)
10. Organize the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government. (Courses:  PH 303)
11. Demonstrate the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology. (Courses:  PH 101, 301)