Defining Public Health Practice
The application of our public health training and expertise to inform, assess, develop, implement, evaluate and/or lead policies, programs and interventions. It focuses on, but is not limited to, strengthening capacity, developing the workforce and other activities done with communities and organizations to improve the public’s health. Practice efforts are characterized by a strong commitment to developing and sustaining trusted, bi-directional relationships and to achieving health equity.

Strategies to Achieve Our Goals

By implementing this plan, the Gillings School will be in an excellent position to capture resources from new federal public health investments and maximize benefits for communities as we make a meaningful difference in health equity and outcomes.

  • Strengthen Gillings’ practice leadership and infrastructure so we can harness our capacity to make a difference in health equity outcomes in N.C. and with global partners
  • Implement key initiatives with high potential for impact
  • Fund practice from a variety of sources 
  • Further incentivize practice to enable more interested faculty, staff and students to engage; and 
  • Measure our contributions to solving health problems, and communicate annually Gillings’ practice impact with meaningful data, analysis and stories that illuminate the difference we make.

Progress Tracker

The Gillings School six-year practice strategic plan, approved in July 2022, provides a roadmap for action. Gillings elevates practice as equal with research and teaching to help make North Carolina the healthiest state in the nation and to advance health globally.

The practice vision, goals and strategies were developed by the Gillings Practice Task Force after interacting with over 175 people across faculty, staff, students, alumni, friends, and stakeholders. The interactive progress tracker provides periodic updates about the steps we have taken to make a meaningful difference in health equity and outcomes.

View the progress tracker.

Spotlight on our Student Practice

A bubbling innovation for kids with visual impairment

Halima Hasan, a graduating senior in health policy and management, is part of App Team Carolina, a student iOS development team that worked with teachers of students with visual impairments to design an app to improve the reading skills of children with Cortical Visual Impairment.

Numbers at a Glance
27,583
Hours of practice-based activities in 2022
701
practice activities with student collaboration in 2022
610
community-based practice activities in 2022
Our Work
At the Gillings School, practice and service are at the heart of what we do, demonstrating our commitment to building partnerships in practice, service and research through coordinating and communicating practicum, service-learning and community-based research opportunities.
Gillings School announces inaugural Public Health Communications Fellows
Professorship supports Fry's work toward healthier N.C.
RELATED PAGES
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact Service, Practice and Engagement: nciph@unc.edu

North Carolina Institute for Public Health
135 Dauer Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165
(919) 966-7613