Uncategorized – Page 4 – Gillings Around the globe

Finding strength in adaptation

Posted on July 7, 2020 by nayavill

This summer, I am completing my practicum with NARAL Pro-Choice NC. I have been working on developing more concise and compelling messaging for NARAL’s awareness and educational campaigns on reproductive health access and the harm of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs). CPCs are organizations (typically non-profits) that pose as full-service reproductive health centers but only offer pregnancy tests, and sometimes an ultrasound and select STI testing, and exist to persuade women to not obtain abortions through manipulative language and tactics. Through my work, I’ve been fortunate enough to chat with many of NARAL’s stakeholders and equity partners about their views, experiences with, and thoughts regarding CPCs, the reproductive healthcare access – or lack thereof – in their communities, and what they think equitable reproductive healthcare access looks like. I’ve also been learning more about the policy and advocacy side of public health work, and I have taken to following Supreme Court decisions – it’s been quite a surprising month. I was definitely lucky that I was able to work remotely with NARAL with relative ease. While I wish I was able to work in their office and hang around my colleagues more often, I have been learning so much from our weekly staff meetings and conversations with my amazing preceptor.

To add some physical activity to my days, I’ve converted my porch into an outdoor gym, which has been made even more beautiful by my roommate’s newfound horticultural skills. I’ve also been able to continue teaching live group exercise classes twice a week on UNC Campus Recreation’s Facebook page. I sincerely miss being able to feel the energy from the super hard-working participants of my HIIT and Core classes, but I’ve been taking this time to gain more fitness and wellness knowledge to enhance my classes when I am able to teach in-person again.

This has been an anxiety-ridden and tense time for all of us, but undoubtedly, we are witnessing a necessary and overdue revolution. While my practicum experience looks a little different than I imagined when I first came to Gillings, I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity I do and to be able to play a tiny part in fighting for reproductive health and justice for all.

One of my favorite graphics showing the multi-faceted and intersectional nature of reproductive justice

Stay strong,

Rachel

A Shift in Priorities and the Rewarding Results

Posted on June 30, 2020 by nayavill

I was busy applying for international practica when COVID-19 still seemed like a distant threat. Having a “boots on the ground” experience was very important to me, and an international experience was something I had been looking forward to since accepting UNC’s offer of admission. At the end of February, I was thrilled to be offered an opportunity that would allow me to put my nascent public health skills into practice in Guatemala. With one week to consider whether I wanted to accept or turn down the offer, I primarily focused on weighing my own personal and professional growth opportunities. After thoroughly thinking through the pros and cons, I decided the day before my deadline that I would accept the offer the following morning.

It was right at that time, however, when my awareness of the true threat of COVID-19 grew tremendously. I wasn’t terribly afraid for my own wellbeing, since I am a young adult and at the time the general sentiment was that the disease was not incredibly dangerous for people like me. But it occurred to me that there I was, intentionally choosing to work in an area with poor infrastructure and limited healthcare services. How was potentially introducing a deadly infection into an already underserved area in any way serving the best needs of the community? Although the school had not yet announced travel restrictions, I turned down that offer and focused on applying to positions within U.S. borders, then within N.C. borders as the severity of the situation became clearer and the school issued new mandates.

My remote work station would not be complete without a good view of my roommate/houseplant, Steven. Yes, he has a name.

Ultimately, I was incredibly fortunate to be offered an opportunity to work with the Disaster Research Response Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. While it is nothing like what I had imagined I would be doing when I first started my practicum search process, there are numerous benefits. My project involves working alongside program leaders in the United States, Japan, and Canada, taking steps towards developing a similar disaster research response program for countries in the ASEAN region. Not only am I being exposed to several countries and their health systems, but I am also having multiple opportunities to network with international partners. Additionally, because I am doing my work from my home in Carrboro, I will be able to continue on this project into the next academic year, giving me a richer and more in-depth experience than I would have had in a 5-10 week practicum abroad.

This is not the practicum experience I had expected, but as COVID-19 has taught us, public health is not a great field if you are uncomfortable working with the unexpected. The work I am doing now is incredibly different, but there have been just as many positive changes as negative changes. I am still getting valuable experiences for professional growth, and I can rest easy knowing that I did not put my desire for a novel experience or my education before the best interest of a vulnerable community.

Tamara

Unprecedented Times

Posted on June 24, 2020 by nayavill

This summer I am working as a program intern for the North Carolina Institute for Public Health (NCIPH). The primary aim of the NCIPH is to promote collaborative based solutions to population health issues within North Carolina and beyond. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCIPH is developing a curation project, Behind the Numbers, which focuses on the documentation and analysis of the lived experiences of frontline healthcare workers. The Behind the Numbers project serves to deviate from quantitative approaches and relies on qualitative techniques to effectively collect the stories and feelings from those affected by this unprecedented time.

Ironically, this specific practicum experience would fail to exist without the surge of this pandemic. I would have never guessed my practicum would be linked to the one of the most extraordinary and defining moments in modern human history. I am absolutely honored to be a part of an organization that recognizes this impact and chooses to center itself on a humanity focus. The objective and numerical data will always be there. However, if we do not capture the stories and collective feelings of those most affected, then we lose the spirit of public health: to improve the health and lives of people.

During one of my walks through Carrboro, I encountered a BLM poster. As a Black man, the Black liberation movement has always served as a central focus in almost every aspect of my life. I thought it would be important to share this as constant reminder of the appreciation and preservation of Black lives.

A typical day involves researching various hotspots in the United States with a relatively high number of COVID-19 cases. Once I pinpoint my desired location, I peruse social media and any relevant articles that detail the stories and accounts of frontline workers in healthcare settings (i.e physicians, physician assistants, nurses, surgeons, etc…). Aside from my practicum responsibilities, I try to keep myself occupied in this new social distancing reality by checking in with family & friends (virtually of course), going for walks, binge-watching my favorite shows on at least four different streaming platforms, and meditating. As an introvert who prefers their own company, this quarantine has forced me to embrace the power, comfort, and necessity of community. Although this is such a destructive and unpredictable time, one can still seek the light of positivity in times of darkness.

Brandon