WHAT DOES PUBLIC HEALTH MEAN TO YOU?

To me, public health means being an active partner dedicated to protecting and preventing poor health outcomes through application of program planning, policy development, education and enabling health services. More importantly, public health means being the voice for underserved and marginalized groups – helping thousands of people and communities at a time.

WHAT WORK DO YOU DO IN PUBLIC HEALTH?

My main portfolio focuses on tobacco prevention efforts for youth and young adults across the Hamilton region. More recently, I have been deployed to support Covid-19 efforts on the Hotline Operations program, acting as one of the Team Leads. In the evolving landscape of Covid-19, the Hotline Operations staff play a pivotal role to the public – being the first point of contact to answer questions in regards to isolation, being a close contact, how to retrieve test results, prevention, education of spread, and even a listening ear for some looking to have a friendly chat.

YOUR PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE?

There is an opportunity for further understanding and awareness of the breadth of public health efforts. Public health is the unsung hero in our everyday lives. A world without public health means an uncontrolled spread of diseases, unsafe workplaces, an increase of chronic diseases, increased inhalation of second hand smoke, reduced access to sexual health clinics and prenatal classes. During times of crisis, public health is put under pressure in the spotlight. There is a mutual opportunity for the public to become more knowledgeable of the scope of public health, and health officials to better understand the needs of communities.

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