National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) -

The public health communicator certification process is evolving quickly and NPHIC’s credentialing committee—chaired by Bill Furney, with assistance from Bret Atkins, Monique Davis, Sabrina Marzouka and Nicola Whitley—already has laid significant groundwork.

The committee has proposed eligibility criteria to apply to be assessed as a “Certified Communicator in Public Health” (CCPH), which will be reviewed by NPHIC Thought Leaders and ultimately be approved by NPHIC’s Executive Board. Currently, the Credentialing Committee proposes the following assessment eligibility requirements: candidates must have a four year degree or higher and two years’ experience working in a position that requires the skills of a Public Health Communicator, OR six years’ experience working in a position that requires the skills of a Public Health Communicator.

A “Public Health Communicator” is defined as someone whose primary responsibility is the development and dissemination of information intended to reduce the burden of disease and injury throughout the general population or to targeted subsets of the general population by utilizing appropriate messages, messengers and means. This includes, but may not be limited to:

• Public Information Officers who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Health Risk Communication Specialists who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Health Promotion Specialists who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Social Media Specialists who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Cross-cultural Communication Specialists who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Community Relations Specialists who work for public health or voluntary health agencies;
• Other individuals in private industry or in the not-for-profit setting whose duties require the skills of a public health communicator.

A “voluntary health agency” is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to reduce the burden of one or more diseases, or injury e.g. American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, OR a foundation whose mission is to promote wellness and reduce the burden of one or more diseases, e.g. CDC Foundation, Legacy Foundation, Public Health Foundation.