I can’t believe how fast this summer has gone by! I am now entering my last two weeks with the Durham County Department of Public Health, and it has been a great experience. I have been lucky to meet some great people who really care about the community of Durham. Most of my previous experiences up until now have been direct services, working with clients one on one, or with families. It has been good to branch out a bit and see more of a bird’s eye view of a community, and the Population Health Division has provided that this summer.
During this experience, I learned what a health department’s reaccreditation entails, and part of my work was thinking of ways to involve and teach the employees of the health department about accreditation. I made games and presentations about the accreditation process for employees to bring them into accreditation in a fun way. I also worked on newsletters for July, August, and September that will go out to staff to review important parts of accreditation like HIPAA policies, trainings, and how to prepare for a site visit. I do not have as much experience in communications, and it was fun to learn a new skill and think of fun ways to get employees involved.
I have also been able to see what goes into making a strategic plan for a health department and the importance of writing a good mission and vision to guide that strategic plan. I read different strategic plans from health department across the country and was able to see the great work that health departments do within communities.
I have enjoyed getting to know the staff that works in Population Health. They are all great and I have learned a lot from my preceptor. This internship has also been a great reminder to remain flexible as projects and timelines may change, and we must learn to roll with that.
I am going into my last two weeks where I will be wrapping up my final projects, leading a presentation and game about accreditation, and giving a final presentation to my division about what I have done this summer.
-Sara G.