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February 2017
Policy&Practice
21
R
ecently I was asked,
“What is the difference between population health and public health?”
After working for 30 years in public health, I should have been able to respond quickly with an elevator speech
that rolled off my tongue. Instead, I paused for a long moment and thought carefully about my answer. I’d just
given a presentation highlighting the ways in which state public health and human services agencies are begin-
ning to work together to improve population health. I challenged the audience—mostly leaders in human
services agencies and organizations—to think more proactively and commit to reaching out to their public
health partners to plan, develop, and implement policies and practices to improve population health.
Then came that question from a member of the audience.
BUILDING ALLIANCES
BETWEENPUBLIC HEALTH
ANDHUMAN SERVICES
PROFESSIONALS
ByMary Ann Cooney
Photo illustration by Chris Campbell