Internship & Seminar Final Internship Abstracts
Spring 2008
Sarada Bernstein - The Norman Thomas High School Obesity Prevention Garden Program
Childhood obesity has become a public health problem in the United States of extraordinary proportion. Health professionals are hard at work to combat this epidemic. Previous research has found a positive association between nutrition and gardening education programs and healthy eating. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effects of our nutrition gardening program on health behavior. A total of fifteen tenth and eleventh graders participated in this 10 week program from Norman Thomas High School. A pre and post test was administered asking general questions about eating and health behaviors. The expected results will be that the program will impact our subjects food choices and eating behaviors and increase their over all consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and decrease their consumption of high sodium, fat and sugar foods.
Kristin Cappola - Environmental Health Internship
The Asthma Free School Zone (AFSZ) is a school-centered and community-based organization that combines asthma prevention, environmental improvement, and health promotion in order to keep children in school by improving the air quality in/around the classroom. As their environmental health intern, my role was two-fold. First, I was responsible for leading project development for the AFSZ Ice Cream Truck Project, which addresses the problem of ice cream trucks that idle diesel generators which power soft serve machines and freezers. Diesel exhaust from generators contains extremely hazardous air pollutants, yet it goes unregulated at the expense of respiratory health. Secondly, I assisted AFSZ staff and associates with ongoing organizational projects and activities; I conducted health education, did research and writing, administered community surveys, created health promotional materials, and more. During this experience I have developed skills in areas such as analytic assessment, policy development/program planning, leadership, critical thinking, and communication.
Emily Douglas - "Internship with Doctors of the World: Communicating the Successes and Challenges of Implementing, Adapting, Sustaining and Evaluating Global Health Programs."
Purpose: The purpose of my internship with Doctors of the World (DOW) was to help the communication team with a variety of projects throughout the semester. DOW, an international health and human rights non-profit organization, helps marginalized communities around the world by implementing context-specific, comprehensive and sustainable public health programs. Methods: Focusing on women and vulnerable children around the world - particularly in the context of the HIV pandemic - DOW creates needs and assets based health interventions. Intern's Responsibilities: Writing and editing articles; researching, synthesizing and analyzing health information; organizing materials for DOW publications; transcribing interviews; finding relevant photographs for publications; informing organizations and individuals about DOW's mission.
Vanessa Dumont - Addressing Childhood Overweight through School-Based Interventions: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene School Wellness Program
Obesity among children is both a social and public health problem. With the rates of childhood obesity almost tripling over the years, increasing numbers of overweight children are being predisposed to a variety of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Looking at this, it is important that physical activity and nutrition is addressed through a coordinated school health program. Such a program provides a systematic approach to promoting student health and learning. The School Wellness Program run by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene works to maintain an active school health council through the assessment of school health policy. This allows strengthening of school physical fitness and nutrition policies as well as provides an opportunity for staff to participate in health assessments, nutrition classes, and other health promotion activities. However in order to ensure successful implementation of such a program baseline and follow up data on program progress is necessary.
Jennifer Encarnacion - New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program Addressing Hypertension in Brooklyn, NY through the 'Cooking and Shopping' Survey and Workshops
Hypertension is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. The Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program aims to reduce and prevent the development of cardiovascular disease, as well as reduce health disparities in NYC. As the student intern, I addressed the prevalence of hypertension among members of faith-based organizations in Brooklyn, NY and focused on efforts to improve the nutritional status and dietary behaviors of adult residents suffering from conditions related to heart disease. My role was to assess the needs of the community, enter survey data about cooking and shopping behaviors, and analyze the survey data. I assisted with the implementation of a community nutrition workshop, which sought to improve cooking and food shopping behaviors among members of faith-based organizations in Brooklyn. I raised awareness and disseminated information about nutrition and its impact upon the development of cardiovascular disease and hypertension to NYC DOHMH and community members.
Jessica Friedland - The Public-Private Worksite Wellness Partnership, at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Wellness at Work Program
My culminating internship experience took place at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) Wellness at Work Program, and involved working on the final year of a grant that tested an innovative intervention model for the delivery of health promotion programs in the workplace. Over the course of my year long internship, I was involved in assisting the Wellness at Work team with data collection and implementation of services, data analysis, evaluation, and presentation of findings to stakeholders for this grant. Additionally, I gained experience crafting proposals and policy guidelines, and in website development. Through this experience I was able to develop my skills in all seven public health core competencies, and obtain practical skills to supplement and reflect the information learned in the classroom during my time here at New York University.
Andrew Hart - Addressing Childhood Overweight through School-Based Interventions: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene School Wellness Program
As rates of childhood overweight have tripled in the past several decades, it has become imperative to implement effective nutrition and physical activity interventions. In New York City, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has implemented the School Wellness Program to work with elementary schools to form School Wellness Councils, which are comprised of teachers, students, school administrators, and community members who collectively identify a school's strengths and weaknesses regarding nutrition and physical activity and design a School Wellness Policy to address identified weaknesses. To facilitate this process, schools are provided with resources, monies, trainings, and workshops. The School Wellness Program is also supported within a comprehensive framework of citywide programs. Due to the formative nature of the School Wellness Program and the limited success of many school-based interventions to date, it is essential that process data be adequately documented to determine program success and continued funding.
Christine Kim - Ensuring effective delivery of the Co-Morbidity Education and Monitoring Program/Healthy Living Program through quality assurance activity and data tracking systems
The goal of the Co-Morbidity Education and Monitoring Program at Iris House is to provide HIV-positive men and women with nutritional counseling, support, and services with an aim toward improving health and quality of life. The pilot program is undergoing a revamp to improve service delivery and enhance program components in an effort to increase client retention rates and participation levels. Client chart reviews were conducted for prioritizing quality of care indicators. Chart review results will allow program staff to design a corrective action plan for improving program performance and delivery. In addition, a comprehensive database was created using the Microsoft Access relational database management system to improve tracking and monitoring of client health indicators.
Alena Kolychkina - Queens Library HealthLink Project (QLHP) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
The purpose of this internship is to enhance and compliment my Masters program through exposure to real-world community-based public health work. The project I am involved with is the Queens Library HealthLink Project (QLHP), a collaborative partnership dedicated to increasing access to cancer screening and care among medically underserved communities in Queens. My responsibilities include: conducting anonymous street intercept surveys, working with specific Cancer Action Councils; entering and analysis of data for neighborhood profiles; transitioning the American Cancer Society (ACS) from paper to electronic records, etc. At present, I have conducted 100+ surveys, constructed 4 neighborhood profiles, translated the survey tool and a flyer into Russian, entered 300+ screening forms into the ACS database, distributed FOBT kits, and trained as a health educator with ACS. My research question, specifically, has dealt with Russian-born/Russian-identified people from all phases o f surveillance (n=30). Preliminary qualitative analysis into this particular sample will expand the reach of QLHP to this particular population.
Michelle Martelle - National Institute of Reproductive Health, Low-Income Access Program
The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) is an advocacy organization that seeks to ensure greater access to and provision of quality reproductive healthcare to all women in this country. The Low Income Access Program (LIAP) is specifically dedicated to aiding low-income women access the full range of reproductive health services. As a group, low-income women face unique barriers to reproductive healthcare such discriminatory legislation including the Hyde Amendment which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortion. As an intern with LIAP, I provided research assistance to the Director of the program, created fact sheets and other technical assistance materials, wrote blog posts and planned/attended advocacy events; all promoting low-income women's access to reproductive healthcare. The primary outcome of my internship was the creation of a resource guide targeted to New York State abortion providers to allow them to better aid low-income women access abortion services.
Lauren McCullagh - Formative Assessment for the Manos Unidas' Training Institute in Rhode Island
The Latino Commission on AIDS capacity building team (Manos Unidas) strives to strengthen HIV prevention programs by providing regional training institutes. The training institutes are an efficient way to instruct several organizations at a time while saving the Commission time and money. In anticipation of conducting the next training institute in Rhode Island (RI) the Manos Unidas team performed a formative assessment of the HIV prevention programs in that area. The intern's role was to review the HIV epidemiological data, organize the needs assessment focus groups, administer a questionnaire and analyze the data. The results the external, programmatic and agency barriers faced by HIV prevention programs and the need for specific population and programmatic training sessions. From the formative assessment the Manos Unidas team will design a context specific training institute that will increase the effectiveness and success of HIV prevention programs in RI.
Sherry Mentor - Cancer Survivorship in New York City
Over a period of four months, two studies designed to ascertain physician and agency barriers to providing cancer survivorship services in the New York City area were conducted. Both studies were cross-sectional and used surveys which were administered via Surveymonkey. The intern was in charge of data completion, data analysis and planning a community forum to communicate to key players in the field of cancer survivorship services and care of study findings and results. Participants in the forum were encouraged to exchange information to create a collaborative network of physicians, services and agencies within New York City. The researchers found barriers to care which they categorized into two groups: Physician/patient barriers, and systemic barriers.
Nyah Molineaux - HASA for ALL Project at Harlem United Community AIDS Center
The project presentation is an overview of the in depth examination and reflection on my internship at the Harlem United Community AIDS Center under the direction of Dr. Roy Jerome. In this internship I served as a research intern on the HASA for ALL project which examined the relationship between housing, HIV/AIDS, psychosocial and health factors of people living with HIV/AIDS in supportive housing sponsored by Harlem United. During this internship, I developed skills in survey development , communication, and cultural competency, which will be, used in future public health positions.
Domingo José Moronta - Monitoring Effective Primary Care Provision in Cancer Survivors at the Cancer Survivorship Primary Care Clinic through the Community Outreach and Health Disparities Lab
Cancer survivorship is increasing steadily through the intervention efforts of medical and public health officials that have pinpointed how to clinically address the disease while also increasing access, living conditions and socioeconomic conditions that serve to benefit the individuals combating the disease. However, the situation, while benefitting the nation on a whole has specifically not necessarily improved too many of the barriers within racial and ethnic minority communities that contribute to such a disparity. Hispanic, Asian and African American communities continue to face the disparity at the hands of current national and governmental programs that only reach small percentages of the individuals who need cancer care. A 90% or better survival rate is recorded for the biggest killers, colorectal, breast and cervical cancers, if diagnosed early on. This points to screening services as being particularly significant in reversing the disparity.
Francesca Mueller - Health Care For All New York
The United States is one of the only industrialized nations not to have a universal health care system in place. In light of this fact, many states, including New York, are taking up the charge and investigating ways to provide health care for all. There are 2.7 million uninsured individuals in New York. This internship experience is part of a campaign being lead by the Community Service Society: Health Care For All New York ("HCFANY"). This campaign is a large effort to mobilize individuals and organizations across the state to persuade the New York State legislature to implement a universal health care plan. This internship was designed to initiate the communication and organizing elements of the campaign and to participate in policy efforts that suggest best practice guidelines to the state legislature.
Meredith L. Paddock - Baseline Evaluation of the AIDS Service Center NYC Honoring Everywoman's Right to Safety (HERS) Program
Completed at AIDS Service Center NYC (ASC), my internship project focused on several tasks such as program evaluation, data collection, focus group administration and event planning & fundraising. My main task of evaluating a women's recovery program, Honoring Everywoman's Right to Safety (HERS), revealed baseline results from 38 women as of April 16, 2008. There were very low frequencies of alcohol and/or substance abuse and crime/criminal justice. Additionally, there were high frequencies for stable housing and social connectedness. As the program continues to collect baseline surveys, the results may differ as more women participating in the HERS program are just entering recovery. My internship also used and developed my public health core competencies throughout the course of the project, strengthened my own professional development and benefited ASC's programmatic work.
Maggie Piper - AIDS 2031
Aids2031 is a consortium of partners from academia, civil society, government and the private sector, who have come together to look at what has been learned about the AIDS response, its successes and failures and the implications of the changing world around AIDS, in order to consider options for the future. The initiative brings together multidisciplinary teams-including economists, epidemiological, biomedical, social and political scientists-to question conventional wisdom, stimulate new research, encourage public debate and uncover new evidence in order to influence the investment, programming, research and leadership of tomorrow. This internship was served in the Coordinating Unit of the aids2031 initiative in New York under Dr. Heidi Larson, the initiative's Coordinator. The intern was responsible for supporting the coordination of the initiative by developing work plans, budgets and timelines for the Coordinating Unit as well as assisting in the implementation of special projects.
Shahanaz Rahman - Information Gathering for Problem Solution at Community Health Care Association of New York State.
Objective: To strengthen core public health competencies and skills through an internship project at Community Health Care Association of New York State by conducting information gathering to aid in creating a solution to a serious public health issue. Research Methods and Procedures: Conducted information gathering to coordinate emergency planning within communities in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island using GoogleMaps as a primary data source. Surveyed staff members of CHCANYS to strengthen the infrastructure of the organization and to better prepare a public health organization with easy access to information. Results: Forty-three sites were identified by PCDC which were used as central location points to identify local Hospitals, Police Precincts, Firehouses, Primary Care sites, Schools, Shelters, DOHMH, Borough Specific Emergency Agencies, CERT Team, Community Board Member, and Council Members. Results of internal resource research showed that CHCAN YS staff used similar organizations and websites as primary data sources. Discussion: Results obtained for Emergency Preparedness show strong interest by third parties to collaborate on an EP program. The results of the resource gathering showed that external resources overlap among CHCANYS staff members and certain organizations are key points of resource for any public health organization.
Erin Rampe - American Lung Association
To support the American Lung Association's goal to monitor lung health and be the champion for those affected by lung disease, the Epidemiology and Statistics Unit develops trends reports to analyze lung disease data at a local and national level. Annually the Epidemiology and Statistics Unit produces trend reports to identify the burden of disease in the United States and identify those at greatest risk. Data gathered from national surveys determines mortality, incidence, prevalence, hospital discharges, and vaccination rates related to the lung diseases and behavioral risk factors for lung disease. In general, the incidence of tuberculosis is decreasing, mortality from pneumonia and influenza remains stable, and the prevalence of non-smokers in the United States continues to increase. The trend reports inform the major initiatives and update the major publications on lung disease at the American Lung Association.
Shoshana Rosenberg - Familial cancer aggregates in a large population-based cohort
Clustering of cancer in families can be attributed to a variety of factors including heritable mutations, shared exposures, as well as chance occurrence. My project entailed an analysis of cancers among parent-offspring pairs and sib-ships in the Jerusalem Perinatal Study cohort, as well as secondary cancer diagnoses among offspring. My findings suggest that many of these cancers can be attributed to inherited syndromes. I did not find a difference in age at diagnosis, stage distribution, or survival when comparing sporadic cancers to aggregates. A substantial percentage of family members were diagnosed shortly following the proband, which suggests increased surveillance among families during the interval following diagnosis in the first family member. My analysis was limited by the relatively young age of the cohort along with limited pedigrees which made it difficult to determine the actual prevalence of familial syndromes among the cohort; future studies should provide a more accurate estimate.
Eilleen Sabino - Queens Library Health Link Project
Queens Library Health Link is a five-year Community Based Participatory Research project aimed at reducing health disparities among 20 communities in Queens, NY. The project utilizes community organizing in the form of Cancer Action Councils to in an attempt to decrease health disparities. Project interns were responsible for collecting data in the form of street intercept interviews that measured neighborhood dynamics, health information seeking, access to health care, and cancer screening behaviors. They also analyzed and presented this data in a culturally appropriate manner to stakeholders for the purpose of informing programming. Interns applied classroom knowledge to their field work, as well as enhanced their skills related to public health competencies such as Leadership and Systems Thinking, Analytic/Assessment, Basic Public Health Science, Cultural Competency, and Communication. The experience fulfilled its promise to promote growth among the interns that would prepare them to become well-rounded practicing public health professionals.
Molain Saintilus - The Effects of Housing Quality on Medication Adherence and Use of Medical Services for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PH WH) In New York City
Housing quality is a public health issue that currently does not receive enough attention. The effects of housing quality on the health outcomes of people living with HIV/AIDS (PL WH), in particular, receives even less attention. The complexity of the HIV virus makes this topic quite intriguing. PL WH face a variety of social, behavioral, and environmental issues that further complicate their health status. Although Harlem United Community AIDS Center offers supportive housing for PL WH in Harlem and the Bronx, it was necessary to investigate the quality of the housing. My role as an intern at Harlem United Community AIDS Center has been to aid Roy Jerome on his research project investigating the effects of housing quality on various health outcomes of PL WH. I participated in recruiting participants, editing the tool for the study and conducting interviews, among other roles. The experience has tremendously enhanced by professional skills in public health.
Daniel Siconolfi - The YMSM Study
The YMSM Study is a mixed-methods investigation of HIV risk behaviors and attitudes among young New York City gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YMSM), and seeks to develop empirically- informed prevention messages to stem the incidence of HIV in this population. The study involves 3 phases: brief quantitative street intercept surveys of 540 YMSM, in-depth qualitative interviews of 54 YMSM, and focus group testing of HIV prevention messages created from the findings of Phase 1 and 2 among 60 YMSM. My work on this project involved major aspects of study preparation, including survey items, qualitative items, methodology practice, staff training, and protocol development. The YMSM Study provided an opportunity to implement much of my CPH training, and I was able to learn how academic researchers can partner with public health officials to design a research study that provides an opportunity for a theory-practice relationship to flourish.
Hamad Sindhi - Consent, vulnerable populations and international aid: Policies around HIV/AIDS from a 'best-practices' and human rights perspective.
Abstract: My internship experience took place at the Gay Men's Health Crisis and involved work with three main projects/issues - written informed consent, prison testing and the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The purpose of the internship was to gain experience with public health practice in a policy setting. My activities included researching for, analyzing, editing and adding content to policy briefs, memos and policy papers. Other activities included building databases of policy-makers at the city, state and federal levels, and coalition organizations for purposes of funding and dissemination of educational and social marketing campaign materials. The results of these efforts will have a significant impact on HIV/AIDS policy change at all levels of government and ultimately work to strengthen evidence-based and best-practices policies.
Lauren Smith - The Future of Disease Prevention: New York Methodist Hospital Health Communication Campaigns of Spring 2008
Abstract - According to Healthy People 2010 health communication has become one of the avenues in which experts hope will help us to improve overall quality of life. For approximately four months in 2008 I was given the opportunity to intern in the Marketing/Health Communications Department at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. A 576-bed hospital, New York Methodist Hospital is the main health care facility for the community, however many local residents are either not aware of the services offered or have never been educated about how vital preventive medicine has become. In order to remedy these two issues I was given the opportunity to develop various education materials on common diseases in the community, communicate with potential stakeholders for the development of support groups and spearhead the launch of an e-newsletter - the first of its kind at New York Methodist Hospital