Fall 2014 HMCD PracticumJosey Gosch

October 9th, 2014

Selection of agency

Selected agency through WSU First contact with Kendra Nguyen Initial meeting with Kendra and

Christine Steward (Chris)› Discussed the project› Obviously the meeting went well› A start date was established› Paperwork was completed

Mission:

To improve the health of Sedgwick County residents by preventing disease, promoting wellness and protecting the public from threats.

Sedgwick County Health Department Overview Department of Health and

Human Services Director: Adrienne Byrne-Lutz

(Interim) 1900 E Ninth St N.

Wichita, KS 67214 Five Divisions

› Administrative Services› Community Health Planning and

Performance Improvement (CHPPI)

› Preventative Health › Children and Family Health› Health Protection

Services and Providers› Health Screening and Testing

STD/HIV Testing, Tuberculosis, Pregnancy

› Women, Children and Family Healthy Babies, Project Imprint,

School Health, WIC

› Immunizations Education, when and where?

› Oral Health Children’s Dental Clinic, Discount

Card, Education and Demonstrations

› Prevention and Protection Public Health Preparedness,

Tobacco Cessation

› Services for Uninsured and Underinsured

› Health Resources Transportation, Healthy Apps

My SCHD Preceptors

Christine Steward› Epidemiologist › Facilitated my

project› Health Protection

Kendra Nguyen › PHEP Regional

Projects Coordinator

› Processed my SCHD/WSU Paperwork

› Health Protection

Project and objectives

Create a database› Input 2014 suicide autopsies› Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition› Enter data into a database in a standardized way› Perform basic analysis of data

Create tables Graphs Charts

› Understand what fields need to go into a database Meaningful data analysis

Project Summary

Reviewed and observed prior database creation› Kaylee; Prior student contracted for specific projects that are needed

Began creating a database in Excel› Large amount of subjectivity

Chris suggested Epi Info› Software fit our needs and had a lot of potential

Built a test database› A LOT of trial and error› Researching standardized terms

Meeting with Chris and Kaylee› More revisions› Advice from a different perspective

Meeting with Chris and Nicole› Two weeks later› Even more revisions› Constructive criticism

Pro

ject S

um

mary

Cont…

Page 1

Page 2

Demographics and Details› Demographics› Life Stressors› Suicide Details› Occupation

History› Mental History› Medical History› Substance Abuse History

Page 3

Toxicology› Toxicology results› Chemical or Drug, Class, Category, Description› Researched common drugs/chemicals on toxicology report› Spent a large amount of time on codes› Codes autofill certain fields

› Maintains objectivity

Ep

i Info

Pro

sC

ons

Easy to learn Lots of instructional videos Easy to organize Codes are easy to format Legal values are easy to build Easy to read

You will need two computer screens to enter data

You cannot zoom out to view the entire page on the computer screen

Cannot change the “field name” after a certain period of time

Randomly unlinks the codes

Personal Reflection

•Genuinely, I enjoyed my time with the SCHD. •Not only did I work on the database, I had the opportunity to shadow other areas of the Health Department

• WIC• Healthy Babies• General Clinic• Comcare• Epidemiology Meetings• Measles Outbreak

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals Analytical/Assessment Skills

› My goal was to create the database.

› The database will then be used to collect data in a standardized way to describe the suicides the in Sedgwick County

› By doing the analysis of this data, this will help the Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Coalition to develop appropriate interventions to reduce the rates of suicide

Policy Development/Program Planning Skills› I saw how policy

adherence ensure diseases are being reported and handled correctly Measles Outbreaks; i.e.

Incubations Periods

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals Cont… Communication Skills

› I was immersed in health care language, whether It was by email or listening to clients or patients

› My medical terminology class paid off!

Cultural Competency Skills› Learning to recognize

different cultures and work with them for positive health outcomes

› WIC Shadow Hispanic family Spanish speaking, no English

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals Cont… Community Dimensions of

Practice Skills› Everyday, the SCHD

works with several other groups for the same goal KDHE Via Christi School Nurses

Public Health Sciences Skills› Almost everyone at the

SCHD has a wealth of knowledge and history in their chosen field

› Chris is qualified and knowledgeable in her role and the science behind it

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals Cont… Leadership and Systems

Thinking Skills› The organizational

structure and processes are set in place to make the organization lucrative in productivity and revenue

Financial Planning and Management Skills› I was able to get a first

hand view/experience on how the budget at SCHD has a grip on all daily operations

› “1.5 positions were reduced were reduced because the federal grant money they were being paid out of was no longer available.

A Few Things I’ve Learned…

How to create a database in Epi Info How subjectivity from data entry can alter

the analysis of the data How to write codes and legal values in Epi

Info and Excel Greater sense of knowledge of the

community and the problems surrounding it Community Resources Suicide does not discriminate and is a very

real problem in our community

Other Thoughts…

I loved my time at the SCHD I was treated like family I HIGHLY recommend any student on

any level to come here and be fully immersed in the Health Department Culture

What’s Next For My Health Care Career?

I’m still trying to figure that out In the mean time however…

› When I graduate I will begin to look into a career in public health Possibly part time job with Comcare Masters Degree

› I was to help prevent suicide in any ways that I can Whether by spreading the word of community

resources, or entering data and building databases

CO

NC

LUS

ION

You’re only give a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”

- Robin Williams