| . . . |  Council
on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health PracticeTHE
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC
In the fall of 1994, two groups of concerned public health professionals began meeting independently to address research findings which showed public perception of the field of public health to be uninformed, incomplete, and in some cases negative. An ad hoc committee of academic and practice representatives from the UNC School of Public Health at Chapel Hill and from the state health department met bi-weekly to discuss the implications of these findings for North Carolina's public health system. At the same time, the "Pride in Public Health" committee of the North Carolina Public Health Association also began to discuss this issue. Eventually, these two groups joined forces and collaborated on the development of a new promotion program for public health in North Carolina - the North Carolina Public Health Awareness Program (NC PHAP). For some time there had been a suspicion within the public health community that public health programs and services were generally misunderstood, invisible, and taken for granted. Formal research, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) bore this out, revealing an alarming lack of awareness and appreciation for basic public health services and their contribution to quality of life. This disturbing perception spanned the spectrum from the general public to elected and appointed officials and policy makers - and was even present among people who worked in the field of public health! In considering this sober set of findings, both groups arrived at the same conclusion: in order for public health to fulfill its mandate to make communities healthy places in which to live, the role and scope of public health programs and services needed to be more widely understood and appreciated. It was also clear that raising the level of public health awareness would require a comprehensive effort by state and local organizations, using mass media and other means of communication.
As the "Pride in Public Health" Committee grappled with issues of morale, membership and motivation, the newly titled Public Awareness Advisory Committee (PAAC) in Raleigh spent a year considering the issue of "identity." While public health work has inherent worth for those who understand and carry it out, the value of public health is not always obvious. Early attempts to communicate the value of public health focused on descriptions of public health activities or services - monitoring health status, diagnosing and investigating health problems, enforcing regulations, etc. Focusing on such activities, as well as on the core functions of public health (assessment, assurance and policy development), were not effective in raising awareness and appreciation. Subsequent attempts to find the essential "messages" of public health relied on a new focus - achievements; the emphasis on activities such as disease prevention, health promotion, disaster response and others. To foster a positive image of public health, North Carolina's public health system needed a logo and slogan upon which promotional initiatives could be developed. This required a professionally rendered logo and catchy, accurate slogan that would be widely accepted by North Carolina's public health leadership as well as by its workforce. There was no point in developing a terrific identity package that no one would be willing to use. PAAC spent several months soliciting ideas and comments, reviewing logo and slogan proposals, and considering how to build support for a new public health image. In the end, broad support was given for the logo and slogan EveryWhere, EveryDay, EveryBody, which has since become the official trademarks of North Carolina’s public health system. At this point, promotional materials were developed and guidelines established for their use. It was obvious that simply developing an identity (logo and slogan) for the public health system would not guarantee effective promotion, however. The decision was made to develop the initiative as a program as opposed to a campaign in order to ensure longevity and stability. Both the "Pride in Public Health" Committee and PAAC strongly backed the need for supporting the campaign with adequate resources and consistent management, and support of the State Health Director, Dr. Ron Levine, was enlisted. As a result of his advocacy, major funding for the program was provided by the divisions within the state health department. Because of restrictions on the state's ability to create new positions, the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill School of Public Health was asked to create the manager's position within the university system. Dr. Richard House, associate dean and director of the Center for Distance Learning and Health Communications, agreed to help with this effort. The position was approved in the winter of 1995-96 and filled the following spring.
A major capacity-building effort of NC PHAP has been a comprehensive training program for local and state-level public health staff. This effort involved the identification and recruitment of "media facilitators" within the public health system who were willing to take on the responsibility of coordinating public health promotion efforts for their health department or division. With the help of a consultant experienced in public health promotion, a comprehensive training curriculum in media relations, marketing and promotion was developed and presented. The eight-month training program ran during 1996. The cost of the training was included in the program's budget, so no registration fees were charged. Media facilitator training was organized around three modules, each containing a teleclass to five downlink sites around North Carolina and follow-up practicum training at local area health education centers. Approximately 100 public health staff participated in the first training, representing 52 local health departments and state public health divisions. Participants in the media facilitator training program received extensive instruction and support in the area of media relations. Each participant received a stylebook with guidelines for using the logo and slogan, a large bound notebook with resource materials to be used as a reference tool on the job, and closely supervised practice in interviewing and promotion program presentation. Practice sessions were videotaped and critiqued by project staff and participants.
NC PHAP has worked closely with the North Carolina Association of Local Health Directors (NCALHD) and NCPHA to encourage the use of their recently produced video "EveryWhere, EveryDay, EveryBody." This video highlights the importance of public health services using a "Twilight Zone" dramatic style. To increase the video's effectiveness, NC PHAP has developed a boilerplate script, outline, supporting overheads and implementation guide that will allow local or state public health employees to make an effective, consistent presentation to interested community groups on the importance of supporting public health in North Carolina. The "presentation package" was distributed in late 1996.
Current efforts are under way to consolidate "public health month" activities under the umbrella of the NC PHAP, and to establish closer links with the newly consolidated Pride in Public Health Committee within NCPHA. As the dialogue about the future of public health in North Carolina continues, PHAP will continue to develop promotion strategies to support long-term public health interests. Since each local health department in North Carolina takes a different approach to promoting and marketing public health within its community, PHAP will continue to stress skill development, capacity building, consultation and technical assistance as the most effective means of achieving its goals. An open, informed dialogue with local and state-level public health personnel is essential for PHAP's success.
Anyone interested in efforts to promote the public health approach in North Carolina are encouraged to contact the North Carolina Public Health Awareness Program: Christopher Cooke, Manager E-mail: christopher_cooke@mail.ehnr.state.nc.us Christopher Cooke is a Public Health Marketing Specialist at the University of North Carolina Center for Distance Learning and Health Communications, and the Manager of the North Carolina Public Health Awareness Program. |