It’s been several years since we attended our last APHA Annual Meeting and Expo. Because of the success of my new book “Selling Public Health”, I thought it might be worthwhile to go to the conference and meet with possibly more directors and administrators of health departments.

Much like the July NACCHO conference in Pittsburgh, we had many health department employees stop by our booth and sign up for our free marketing analysis. In addition to health department employees we saw many students who are currently in school or about to graduate with degrees in public health. Although they were not the qualified prospects we were seeking, it was enjoyable to visit with them and hear about their experiences and the type of education they are receiving through various university public health curriculums.

I must admit that I was concerned having heard the same things I heard several years ago at our last APHA conference and that is none of them have any or are receiving marketing training.

With the tech savvy generation of younger people entering the workforce you would think they would have a focus on content marketing, social media and the other elements so commonly tied to millennial’s but most that I spoke with received no training on how to market their health department.

In addition to the hopeful young students I also spoke with multiple people involved in various stages of public health who had the same question that I was asked the last time we attended APHA. That question was, “Why would anybody need to market a health department?” They just don’t get it!

As crazy as it is to hear that question,especially today, I also had several public health professionals share with me that they thought accreditation was an unnecessary expense and public health 3.0 a Band-Aid that’s not solving the real problems health departments struggle with which includes the fact that they are invisible and that few in their communities know the services and the programs that are available as well as the vital roll in the health and safety of the community.

Inspite of this I am hopeful because each week I speak with new directors and administrators who are eager to develop a simple marketing plan that they can execute without dropping the ball as they wear several hats already.

Virtually everyone who I issued the challenge to walk out front of their health department and ask people at random. “Name 5 services we offer here at the health department.” They would not find any, they ALL agreed!

It was also gratifying that so many people came by our booth and wanted to buy a copy of the book based simply on the title because it was so unusual in the silo that they currently occupy.

Still I was left with a sense of frustration that I was surrounded by over 17,000 brilliant people with great education’s, many of whom do not understand how vital and important selling public health truly is.