Health education specialists plan, direct, and carry out health education programs.

Health education specialists teach people about wellness. They work in a variety of settings, including:

• Healthcare facilities
• Community non-profit agencies
• Schools and colleges
• Large businesses

Health education specialists assess health needs and plan education programs in the community, school, or work place. They talk to community members, students, or employees. Depending on where they work they may also talk to managers, health specialists, or civic groups.

After gathering information, health education specialists set up goals for a health education program and plan actions to meet those goals.

To carry out programs, they may make presentations to groups of people or plan workshops and conferences. For example, they might:

• Teach factory workers about how to protect themselves from repetitive motion injuries in the work place.
• Educate teenagers and college students about behaviors that could put their health at risk. Teach patients recovering from a heart attack about the need for exercise and good nutrition.

In addition, specialists communicate with the public about health needs and resources available in a community. They may help people find nutritional or health services. Sometimes they set up health screenings for high blood pressure and other conditions.

Health education specialists prepare materials such as pamphlets or videos. They may specialize in one area or a particular disease. They also may oversee staff who deliver health education programs.

Following implementation of a program, health education specialists evaluate the program's effectiveness. To do this, they talk to people and collect data to determine if goals have been met. They write reports of their findings and make presentations to local officials, managers, or health care providers.