PUBLIC HEALTH

Applies preventive and public health knowledge, techniques, and skills to promote health and to reduce the incidence of communicable diseases, occupational illnesses, food borne diseases, and disease and nonbattle injuries while in garrison as well as in field conditions. Promotes the public health through epidemiological surveillance of health and disease trends in populations, as well as monitoring food safety practices, and sanitation levels in public and food service facilities.

FAQS

EXPLORE

Duties And Responsibilities Open Tab Button Duties And Responsibilities Develops, plans, and implements public health activities. Conducts preventive medicine communicable disease control, occupational health, food safety, and disaster response programs. Establishes and maintains liaison with other medical treatment facility personnel and local public health agencies to ensure an integrated public health program. Advises on public health issues, including manning, and training. Identifies required facilities, personnel, funding, and other resources. Prepares regulations and operating instructions, acquires technical bulletins, and presents training programs to support public health. Evaluates existing public health programs and recommends changes in policies and procedures. Supports Reserve and Guard component units assisting with the determination of program effectiveness and compliance with standards. Initiates, directs, and conducts preventive medicine and communicable disease control programs. Applies epidemiological and statistical methods to identify and evaluate factors increasing disease morbidity and mortality. Collects and reviews beneficiary morbidity data to establish baseline data and identify trends. Compares data to local, state, and federal morbidity reports. Notifies the Chief of Aerospace Medicine about trends or outbreaks that may affect the Air Force population. Directs and conducts epidemiological investigations of communicable diseases and food borne disease outbreaks, and makes recommendations to curb and prevent their occurrence. Conducts contact investigations of patients with sexually transmitted infections and active or latent tuberculosis. Monitors the medical facility employee health program and reports compliance to facility leaders. Plans and develops disease vector surveillance program, coordinating efforts with civilian programs where possible. Provides communicable disease education to all beneficiaries. Directs and conducts food safety and public facility sanitation programs. Evaluates food preparation and storage facilities, distributors, equipment, and sanitary practices to assess compliance with public health standards for construction, cleanliness, personal hygiene, and food safety. Oversees periodic vulnerability assessments of on-base facilities and food supplies, as well as off-base distributors delivering food to Air Force installations. Supervises inspection of government owned and retail sales food to determine identity, and wholesomeness. Advises procurement, contracting, and accountable property officers on proper disposition of nonconforming and unwholesome food supplies. Collects food samples for laboratory analyses, ensures appropriate testing is completed, interprets test results, and recommends appropriate food disposition actions. Ensures that hazardous or suspect foods identified through federal recall systems are removed from service and are appropriately processed for final disposition. Supervises or conducts courses in food safety for food service personnel and facility managers to prevent food borne illnesses. Reviews and coordinates plans for renovation or construction of food serving facilities, commissaries, and warehouses. Inspects or supervises inspections of public facilities such as childcare centers, barber and beauty shops, and gymnasiums. Participates in the base Occupational Health Program along with members of Flight Medicine, Bioenvironmental Engineering, Primary Care, Ground Safety, as well as workplace supervisors and individual workers. Establishes procedures to identify personnel requiring pre-placement, periodic, and termination medical examinations. Participates in formulating occupational health examination requirements for workers at risk for hazardous exposures. Maintains close liaison with other agencies to develop procedures for prompt identification, investigation, evaluation, and reporting of occupational illnesses. Serves as technical advisor to shop supervisors for planning and presenting occupational health education programs. Manages administrative aspects of the Fetal Protection program for active duty and civilian workers. Provides medical intelligence to members deploying to exercises and contingencies to reduce disease incidence and promote mission effectiveness. Ensures that deployers' medical records are reviewed and updated by their Primary Care Managers and that all required medical tests and other preventive medicine measures are completed prior to deployment. Directs public health efforts in deployment settings and field conditions. Advises on issues relating to site selection, field sanitation, disease threats, physical threats such as heat and cold stress, vector and pest hazards, and contamination control procedures. Monitors disease trends and advises on interventions to mitigate endemic and epidemic morbidity. Monitors food procurement, storage and preparation, and training and hygiene of food handlers. Advises food service personnel on protection and disposition of food items subject to nuclear, biological, or chemical contamination, and effects of natural and other peacetime disasters. Advises medical personnel and commanders on the application of appropriate medical standards to military members that may have medical conditions incompatible with unrestricted/continued military service. Monitors those members given long-term physical profiles to ensure the continued validity and requirement for those profiles. SPECIALTY QUALIFICATIONS INFO Specialty Qualifications Open Tab Button Specialty Qualifications Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of basic epidemiology, microbiology, food technology and hygiene, communicable diseases, and occupational health. Education. For entry into this specialty, it is mandatory to possess either: a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM/VMD), Public Health (DrPH), Epidemiology (PhD), or a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note), and a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree in public health/environmental medicine technology or allied health sciences; or a Master's Degree in Public Health (MPH/MSPH) or Epidemiology (MS), and a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note). All degrees must emanate from academic institutions recognized by the Surgeon General, HQ USAF. Also, all MPH or equivalent degrees must be from schools or programs (including distance learning) listed as fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Entry based on both a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note) and a CCAF degree in public health/environmental technology or allied health sciences, also requires seven years of job experience as an enlisted public health technician, with three of those seven years served in the 7-skill level (AFSC 4E071).	UNITS Public Health is available in the following units 109th Airlift Wing Scotia, NY 12302 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 110th Airlift Wing Springfield, MI 49037 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 111th Fighter Wing Horsham, PA 19044 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 115th Fighter Wing Madison, WI 53704 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 121st Air Refueling Wing Columbus, OH 43217 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 122nd Fighter Wing Fort Wayne, IN 46809 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 123rd Airlift Wing Louisville, KY 40213 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 128th Air Refueling Wing Milwaukee, WI 53207 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 138th Fighter Wing Tulsa, OK 74135 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 152nd Airlift Wing Reno, NV 89502 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 154th Wing Hickam AFB, HI 96853 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 157th Air Refueling Wing Newington, NH 03803 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 174th Fighter Wing Syracuse, NY 13211 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 179th Airlift Wing Mansfield, OH 44903 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 181st Intelligence Wing Terre Haute, IN 47803 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 186th Air Refueling Wing Meridian, MS 39307 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information 187th Fighter Wing Montgomery, AL 36108 Unit Info & Careers Get Directions Request Information

Duties And Responsibilities

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Duties And Responsibilities

Develops, plans, and implements public health activities. Conducts preventive medicine communicable disease control, occupational health, food safety, and disaster response programs. Establishes and maintains liaison with other medical treatment facility personnel and local public health agencies to ensure an integrated public health program. Advises on public health issues, including manning, and training. Identifies required facilities, personnel, funding, and other resources. Prepares regulations and operating instructions, acquires technical bulletins, and presents training programs to support public health. Evaluates existing public health programs and recommends changes in policies and procedures. Supports Reserve and Guard component units assisting with the determination of program effectiveness and compliance with standards. Initiates, directs, and conducts preventive medicine and communicable disease control programs. Applies epidemiological and statistical methods to identify and evaluate factors increasing disease morbidity and mortality. Collects and reviews beneficiary morbidity data to establish baseline data and identify trends. Compares data to local, state, and federal morbidity reports. Notifies the Chief of Aerospace Medicine about trends or outbreaks that may affect the Air Force population. Directs and conducts epidemiological investigations of communicable diseases and food borne disease outbreaks, and makes recommendations to curb and prevent their occurrence. Conducts contact investigations of patients with sexually transmitted infections and active or latent tuberculosis. Monitors the medical facility employee health program and reports compliance to facility leaders. Plans and develops disease vector surveillance program, coordinating efforts with civilian programs where possible. Provides communicable disease education to all beneficiaries. Directs and conducts food safety and public facility sanitation programs. Evaluates food preparation and storage facilities, distributors, equipment, and sanitary practices to assess compliance with public health standards for construction, cleanliness, personal hygiene, and food safety. Oversees periodic vulnerability assessments of on-base facilities and food supplies, as well as off-base distributors delivering food to Air Force installations. Supervises inspection of government owned and retail sales food to determine identity, and wholesomeness. Advises procurement, contracting, and accountable property officers on proper disposition of nonconforming and unwholesome food supplies. Collects food samples for laboratory analyses, ensures appropriate testing is completed, interprets test results, and recommends appropriate food disposition actions. Ensures that hazardous or suspect foods identified through federal recall systems are removed from service and are appropriately processed for final disposition. Supervises or conducts courses in food safety for food service personnel and facility managers to prevent food borne illnesses. Reviews and coordinates plans for renovation or construction of food serving facilities, commissaries, and warehouses. Inspects or supervises inspections of public facilities such as childcare centers, barber and beauty shops, and gymnasiums. Participates in the base Occupational Health Program along with members of Flight Medicine, Bioenvironmental Engineering, Primary Care, Ground Safety, as well as workplace supervisors and individual workers. Establishes procedures to identify personnel requiring pre-placement, periodic, and termination medical examinations. Participates in formulating occupational health examination requirements for workers at risk for hazardous exposures. Maintains close liaison with other agencies to develop procedures for prompt identification, investigation, evaluation, and reporting of occupational illnesses. Serves as technical advisor to shop supervisors for planning and presenting occupational health education programs. Manages administrative aspects of the Fetal Protection program for active duty and civilian workers. Provides medical intelligence to members deploying to exercises and contingencies to reduce disease incidence and promote mission effectiveness. Ensures that deployers' medical records are reviewed and updated by their Primary Care Managers and that all required medical tests and other preventive medicine measures are completed prior to deployment. Directs public health efforts in deployment settings and field conditions. Advises on issues relating to site selection, field sanitation, disease threats, physical threats such as heat and cold stress, vector and pest hazards, and contamination control procedures. Monitors disease trends and advises on interventions to mitigate endemic and epidemic morbidity. Monitors food procurement, storage and preparation, and training and hygiene of food handlers. Advises food service personnel on protection and disposition of food items subject to nuclear, biological, or chemical contamination, and effects of natural and other peacetime disasters. Advises medical personnel and commanders on the application of appropriate medical standards to military members that may have medical conditions incompatible with unrestricted/continued military service. Monitors those members given long-term physical profiles to ensure the continued validity and requirement for those profiles.

SPECIALTY QUALIFICATIONS INFO

Specialty Qualifications

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Specialty Qualifications

Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of basic epidemiology, microbiology, food technology and hygiene, communicable diseases, and occupational health.

Education. For entry into this specialty, it is mandatory to possess either: a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM/VMD), Public Health (DrPH), Epidemiology (PhD), or a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note), and a Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) degree in public health/environmental medicine technology or allied health sciences; or a Master's Degree in Public Health (MPH/MSPH) or Epidemiology (MS), and a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note). All degrees must emanate from academic institutions recognized by the Surgeon General, HQ USAF. Also, all MPH or equivalent degrees must be from schools or programs (including distance learning) listed as fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Entry based on both a bachelor's degree in a biological science (see Note) and a CCAF degree in public health/environmental technology or allied health sciences, also requires seven years of job experience as an enlisted public health technician, with three of those seven years served in the 7-skill level (AFSC 4E071).