31: Combining Communication & PR and Public Health with Christa Hyson, MPH

Interview with Christa Hyson, MPH

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Highlights from this episode:

1. Importance of communication and public relations in public health
2. How you can use skills from other fields and utilize in public health
3. Learn about emergency response and being a public information officer

Episode 31 of Public Health Careers

Christa Hyson is a public health and risk communications professional dedicated to advancing health education, creating sustainable social and environmental changes and passing policies to improve health outcomes.

Christa got her Bachelors of Communication and Public Relations at Xavier University. During this she became a health web designer for Debunkify where she utilized many of the communication skills. She began doing freelance photography, design, public relations and SEO during undergraduate as a way to financially support herself.

After graduating, Christa went on to start working as a Digital Imaging/Marketing Coordinator/Photography for BHDP Architecture which is an architecture firm. She adamants this was not the best decision as this was when the financial crisis was unfolding. Thus Christa had to go back and work for one of her undergraduate jobs until she could transition into a full time position.

This position came as the Associate Technical Director at Xavier University. After this, Christa spent some of her time in Germany and other places as a Testing Examiner/Education Counselor for the US Army.

Christa came back to the US and got her Master of Public Health from the University of Florida in the concentration of public health practice. During her time in her MPH she worked as a health promotion, health education and epidemiology intern and as the Meadow Parks Community Center Public Health Intern at the City of Colorado Springs.

She then worked as a Community Health Educator (EPC Public Health) at El Paso County, Colorado. She then transitioned back home to work as a Health Communication Specialist at the City of Cincinnati.

Christa then transitioned into an organization called The Health Collaborative where she currently works. She began as a Senior Manger, External Relation/PIO and is now the Assistant Director, Emergency Response & Public Information Officer for The Health Collaborative.