- American Public Health Association
- American College of Healthcare Executives
- Your State’s Public Health Organization
- Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist
- National Association of County & City Health Officials
With so many great organizations for public health professionals, how can you choose where to spend your time and money? Before you start volunteering as a mentor or paying a membership fee, think about how membership can benefit you and your professional goals. Do you want to join a large organization that will give you access to many different job openings? Perhaps you’d prefer a more focused group that lets you hone in on your favorite areas in public health. Let’s take a look further into five of the top organizations for public health professionals.
1. American Public Health Association
One public health organization stands above all others: the APHA. With more than 25,000 members, the APHA connects you with peers and mentors no matter where you are in your career. You’ll get access to job postings, access to peer-reviewed journals and a boost to your resume. If you’re a student or an early-career professional, you also qualify for a discounted rate. APHA membership shows future employers and colleagues that you’re serious about public health.
2. American College of Healthcare Executives
If you’re interested in serving your community as a hospital or clinic executive, the ACHE can help you achieve your goals. Membership in this public health organization offers free access to three journals so you can stay on top of ground-breaking research in hospital leadership. You must be a member of the ACHE to earn world-recognized credentials as a health care executive, so you’ll see direct career advancements from joining. Plus, the ACHE offer specialized sub-divisions for women, rural executives, racial/ethnic minorities and students, so you can connect with peers facing the same challenges you are.
3. Your State’s Public Health Organization
Sometimes the biggest benefits come from membership in local organizations. Unless you’re looking to move across the country, you want to know about local job openings, local volunteer opportunities and local mentors. You might even want to prioritize your state’s public health association over the national ACHE. It’s easier to make genuine connections and build long-term mentoring relationships with someone who lives in the next county than someone on the opposite coast. Since state organizations are smaller, they usually won’t have their own peer-reviewed publications, but they’ll have affordable membership fees and local gatherings.
4. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist
Don’t let the odd name throw you off. This organization has a simple goal: connecting epidemiologists from all sectors to improve public health. If you’re passionate about epidemiology, joining CSTE lets you stay up-to-date on new research and public education techniques. Membership also gives you a discounted rate at the annual CSTE conference, lists of new job openings and access to webinars and online material.
5. National Association of County & City Health Officials
Most public health workers are employed by local health departments. If you’re in this category, you should join NACCHO. This public health organization promotes evidence-based local health education and connects health leathers to keep information flowing. It organizes topic-based conferences on emerging health issues, encourages departments to continually improve their efforts and has a place for you whether you’re a seasoned leader or a brand new public health worker.
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Joining any of these associations demonstrates your commitment to your career. With so many great public health organizations, you have no excuse for not having membership in one on your resume.