YMCA of Metropolitan Washington – Community Health Associate, March 2021 – Present
For my public health capstone, I collaborated with a team of three of my peers to conduct a comprehensive 22-page literature review, presentation, and value proposition for the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington to provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to their members. As a result of my performance, I was offered the opportunity to continue working with the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington as a Community Health Associate. This newly-established position includes managing their social media accounts; enhancing and implementing social media strategy for health promotion, communication, and recruitment; and managing data from YMCA Health Promotion Programs. I am also involved in developing and assessing programs implemented by the YMCA.
Institute for Medicaid Innovation – Student Research Assistant, December 2020 – Present
Following my former role as a Health Policy and Research Intern with the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (IMI) in the summer of 2020, I maintained contact with the team and was offered the opportunity to continue my work with the organization. In this new role, I perform many similar duties and responsibilities as I did as an intern with additional opportunities such as collaborating on IMI’s ongoing research initiatives and producing blog posts and reports published on the organization’s website (see “Work Sample”). I am also currently working on a project examining the inclusion of health equity and social determinants of health language with regard to specific populations, programs, interventions, and/or other mandates in the request for proposals (RFPs) and Medicaid managed care organization (MMCO) contracts for Medicaid programs throughout the U.S., D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The Root Cause Coalition – Research Consultant, September 2020 – Present
As a Research Consultant, my work primarily focuses on conducting research and publishing content in the Coalition’s weekly member newsletter as well as their Member Community. My research focuses on the social determinants of health-related work of the Coalition’s partners and members and beyond as well as ongoing developments of the COVID-19 pandemic at the following levels: federal, state, and local government; healthcare; non-profit; business; and direct service.
Institute for Medicaid Innovation – Health Policy & Research Intern, May 2020 – August 2020
As a Health Policy & Research Intern, I collaborated with a team of two other interns to develop state Medicaid profiles of all 50 states and Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. We researched and compiled information pertaining to enrollee and waiver eligibility as well as programmatic offerings and components including, but not limited to, maternal and child, behavioral, and oral health services covered by each state Medicaid program. I also produced a soon-to-be-published report detailing Medicaid coverage for postpartum depression treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Root Cause Coalition – Health Equity Intern, August 2019 – August 2020
In this role, I had the opportunity to organize a “Theory Into Action” campaign with the Coalition to translate the research and ideals promoted by the organization into a direct service opportunity with Washington Parks and People. I also created and published content on the Coalition’s Member Community in ForumBee to be accessed by the 70+ partners and members of the Coalition, organized financial data and contact information in the NeonCRM, and facilitated meetings between the Coalition and organizations interested in membership. This role required flexibility and proactivity, which earned me the ability to work on additional projects such as collaborating on the Coalition’s 2020 Status of Health Equity Report and publishing a blog post on rural food insecurity, which spotlighted the efforts of Coalition member the Great Plains Food Bank.
The AIDS Institute – Public Policy Intern, May 2019 – August 2019
In my first professional role, I worked with The AIDS Institute as a Public Policy Intern to attend and report on community and coalition meetings, hearings, and briefings on Capitol Hill as well as conducted policy research on prevention, treatment, and health care reform relating to HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. My work centered around collaborating with the organization’s staff to implement HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and health care policy objectives.