Understanding the 10 Essential Public Health Services

Public health services are the backbone of a healthy community. While hospitals address the health of individuals, public health services are the first line of defense for entire communities, focusing on prevention, education and healthcare accessibility. Public health services allow communities to access life-saving vaccines, clean drinking water and ample educational resources that help them better understand health and wellness.¹

This post will explore the 10 essential public health services and why they’re integral to a healthy, thriving community.

What are the core functions of public health? Public health services foster community health by managing preventive and protective services. They increase the quality of life for everyone in a given community and create social resilience to diseases, adverse conditions and other health threats.

These continued services help people in countless ways, including increasing life expectancy, promoting health equity, making healthcare more affordable and keeping people safe. Public health services are implemented at various levels, including local, state and federal, to cast a wide net and help as many people as possible.²

Health departments aim to maintain an ongoing understanding of the general population’s health and any potential threats to it. This includes regularly collecting and analyzing data and information and utilizing the latest technology for analysis. Tools like community health assessments and collected health statistics help officials stay on top of community health, implementing preventive or protection measures when necessary.³

Public health agencies partner with hospitals, laboratories and emergency services to anticipate, prevent and mitigate health threats through epidemiologic identification. Epidemiology is the study of health patterns within populations. By using real-time data and analyzing information to look for health patterns, officials can detect and respond to outbreaks, injuries or conditions that are growing into public health concerns. Essentially, this service is designed to identify health threats before they become exacerbated and widespread.

Accurate, culturally proficient communication is one of the core functions of public health, empowering individuals with information and guidance. Examples include COVID-19 updates, public service announcements, vaccine education and sexual education classes in schools. Making health information accessible to all helps promote health equity and gives people the tools to protect themselves from health threats. This service is the main safeguard against dangerous disinformation and builds trust between people and official agencies.

Public health organizations also work to bolster healthcare infrastructure, whether by improving IT systems, refining professional training standards or increasing funds for emergency preparedness. This core function of public health creates long-term capacity to handle health concerns and improve responsiveness to problems. The speed at which a system can send out public service announcements, or the funding a department has to distribute vaccines, can be the difference between a deadly pandemic and a manageable outbreak.⁴

Health policies, plans and laws are major components of public health. To keep people healthy, these policies must be informed by concrete data and research, which is where collaboration between political officials and scientific and medical agencies is indispensable. For example, mask mandates and business closures during COVID-19 helped reduce the spread of the virus. Vaccine mandates in schools also protect the general population. Some public health careers that focus on policy monitoring, development and implementation include health policy analysts, public health directors and public health planners.⁵

One person skipping a vaccine can have detrimental ripple effects on an entire population. One of the most important functions of public health is to make health services accessible, reducing barriers for people to receive care. Offerings like mobile clinics, Medicaid enrollment support and tools to connect patients with doctors can make healthcare more convenient and affordable for people, which strengthens overall public health.

Public health services must consider social determinants, like education, transportation, safe housing and employment, that may limit peoples’ ability to access care. A core function of public health is making services accessible to everyone, regardless of their income, location, housing status and current state of health. This includes offering housing initiatives, food access programs and financial support options. Equity in public health means a person’s identity doesn’t influence their ability to get essential health services, which is a tenet of a fair and caring society.

Public health departments rely on concrete evidence to improve their impact on the community. For example, departments can test whether text reminders increase vaccination rates, or partner with universities to compare the effectiveness of video messaging versus printed pamphlets. These research collaborations ultimately help departments allocate their limited funds to strategies that change behavior. Departments can use results from post-presentation surveys or even quizzes to determine what strategy is most effective. This cycle of testing and improvement drives innovation in how public health services reach and engage communities.⁶

Public health departments have made major strides in health policy improvement and implementation. Pandemic-preparedness plans, vaccine requirements and drinking water testing are all policies, promoted by health departments, that keep people safe. Tobacco regulations, which include limited advertising options, age restrictions and warning labels, are health department efforts that have helped reduce smoking and spread awareness about its profound dangers. Similarly, policies that require teaching and promoting nutrition and exercise standards in public schools help children form healthy habits.⁷

Public health services can’t be executed without a strong workforce, which encompasses a wide range of roles, such as epidemiologists, educators, inspectors, statisticians and analysts. For public health services to operate smoothly and effectively, it’s crucial to prioritize training, continued education, team development, revised recruitment practices and job satisfaction within the industry. Well-informed, qualified and caring workers foster trust within communities and help streamline services, reducing costly errors.

These essential services showcase the many ways public health professionals create lasting change in their communities. As a healthcare professional, you're already making a difference, but Kent State University's online Master of Public Health (MPH) program can dramatically expand your influence and open doors to leadership roles in which you'll shape these critical services.

The program combines rigorous academics with real-world application, taught by faculty who are active researchers and policy leaders. You'll gain leadership-ready experience through our unique Applied Practice Experience with approved organizations—hands-on training that accelerates your career impact.

The 100% online format fits your busy life, with three annual start dates, focused seven-week courses, and no GRE requirement. You'll build invaluable networks with fellow healthcare professionals while specializing in Health Policy and Management, Social and Behavioral Sciences or Epidemiology.

Make the move from supporting public health services to leading them. Schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor today to discuss how Kent State's online MPH can accelerate your career and amplify your community health impact.