Public Health's Scope of Practice and Role
in Interprofessional Healthcare

Role of Public Health Professionals in Interdisciplinary Health Care

The Public Health Academy brings together dedicated public health practitioners, educators, researchers, and advocates under a shared mission: to harness the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in order to promote and protect the health of all communities. Guided by NAP’s vision “to collaborate to transform health and well-being,” we serve as a bridge between population-level and clinical perspectives, advancing policies and practices that optimize systems of care and foster resilience. Our core values—collaboration, health equity, evidence-based practice, community engagement, inclusivity, and respect for human rights—anchor everything we do, ensuring that each initiative uplifts vulnerable populations and addresses the determinants of health.

Public health is inherently collaborative - as is our academy: from coalition building and community partnerships to the interdisciplinary research and teaching that underpins effective interventions. Fellows engage with colleagues across all National Academies of Practice disciplines, leveraging the many determinants of health to design integrative educational interventions, advocacy projects, and population-level programs that amplify impact far beyond what any single profession could achieve alone.

Our membership is a dynamic community which provides a forum for advocacy, policy endorsement, career advancement, research, and recognition of outstanding contributions to the public good—all in service of our collective goal to transform health and well-being on every scale.