The future of U.S. public health will require stronger partnerships, clearer messaging and more public involvement. That was the consensus of leaders who shared their insights this month during a discussion on challenges facing the field.

Public health cannot build broader support if it is struggling to communicate a clear message about what it is and why it matters, according to Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. Even within the field, people often have different definitions about what public health is, which hinders communication with the public, he said.

“Public health is great stuff with really bad sales and marketing," Castrucci said during an April 30 conversation hosted by the Boston University School of Public Health. "How do we flip that?"

Forging partnerships across sectors, organizations and institutions can help the public health community communicate more effectively, Castrucci said. Public health organizations are sometimes competing with each other in trying to be the leading voice on every issue, he said.

One way to change perceptions of public health is to involve the public — family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues — more directly, according to Georges Benjamin, MD, APHA CEO.

Getting people to recognize the role they already play in improving community health can help improve support for public health. For example, a volunteer at a food bank is contributing to public health whether they realize it or not, he said.

“There’s a need for a collaborative public health movement, and the missing piece is that the average citizen has not become part of that coalition," Benjamin said. "I think in many ways, that's our quest.”

Public health communications and partnerships will be on the agenda during APHA's upcoming Policy Action Institute in Arlington, Virginia, which will include a session on messaging.