Careers in CHE
Community health educators are on the frontlines of this nation’s efforts to reduce health disparities and improve quality of life. In collaboration with community members, community health educators design and implement programs aimed at reducing the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, including smoking prevention and cessation, substance abuse prevention, emergency preparedness, HIV/AIDS prevention, obesity and physical activity, responsible alcohol consumption, teen pregnancy prevention, reductions in sexually transmitted infections, improving access to perinatal care, infant mortality and low birth weight prevention, nutrition education, and other areas.
With an MPH degree, community health educators work in a variety of settings, such as (1) state and local health departments, (2) hospitals and community health centers, (3) private non-profit agencies that deliver public health services, (4) HMOs, (5) educational institutions, especially student health services on college campuses and health programs in secondary schools, (6) private business in wellness programs and employee assistance programs, and (7) international health settings. In general, graduates start at the level of implementing programs, and over time, take on more management responsibilities for designing programs, administering funding, and training and supervising staff.
