As public health professionals, we are experts in protecting and improving the health of our communities. But even the strongest public health work depends on something many of us have never been formally trained to do: communicate clearly, confidently, and effectively with the people, partners, and decision makers we serve.
That need inspired de Beaumont’s new Talking Health On-Demand Training, a free asynchronous course based on the Foundation’s bestselling book, Talking Health: A New Way to Communicate About Public Health. I’m excited to see this training bring practical, research-backed communications lessons to public health practitioners wherever they are and on a schedule that works for them.
For many of us in the field, communications isn’t listed in our job titles or written into our formal scopes of work. Yet we communicate every day with community members, policymakers, government agencies, healthcare partners, and organizations across sectors. How we frame our messages can shape trust, understanding, collaboration, and ultimately, action.
I see the Talking Health On-Demand Training as an opportunity to build that communications capacity through tangible lessons grounded in the real-life situations and challenges public health professionals face. Participants learn how to communicate in ways that are clearer, more relevant, and more effective, whether they are explaining data, engaging partners, strengthening cross-sector relationships, or reaching the communities they serve.
Participants who have already taken the course in beta have praised it, saying, “This is a highly engaging, relevant, and usable course.” And “Each section built on the last, helping me think through a real project while applying the concepts I learned throughout the course.”
Originally offered as an in-person workshop, the Talking Health training has now been adapted into an on-demand format to expand access and reach. The result is a free, six-hour course that individuals, teams, and organizations can complete on their own terms. That flexibility makes high-quality communications training more accessible to public health professionals, regardless of where they work or what their schedules look like.
By completing the training, participants can strengthen practical communication skills, gain confidence in using storytelling to connect with communities, and earn a completion certificate that can be shared on LinkedIn. The course also supports practitioners seeking Certified in Public Health (CPH) and Registered in Environmental Health (REHS) continuing education credit.
At a time when public health messages must compete for attention and earn trust, the ability to communicate well is not optional. It is essential. Strong communication helps us translate our expertise into understanding, build partnerships across sectors, and support healthier communities.
The principle of the Talking Health On-Demand Training is simple: We already have the expertise. This course helps us make every message count.
I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource and consider how stronger communication can strengthen your own public health work.
Enroll in the free Talking Health On-Demand Training at training.debeaumont.org/talkinghealth.
