This summer, I was fortunate enough to continue my internship from the previous summer at the Posey County Health Department with Kelli Goedde, RN, Kellie Waller, and fellow Wabash student, Carac Johnson. During this time, we set out to improve upon the various clinics, programs, and events that I helped initiate prior.
Under the guidance of Kelli Goedde, RN, our Public Health Nurse, and Kellie Waller, our case manager, I was able to view and assist with many different lead cases, vitals clinics, safety sessions, and trainings. Last summer, our community enacted the PEACH program, which aims to assist new parents with their babies up to one year of age. In the months that have followed, the program has bloomed and become a helpful tool for many people in my community. I was able to participate in home-visits to help these people with baby supplies, education, and overall concerns. Another goal of the PCHD during this time is to increase STI testing for those in need. Many people who live in my community must travel outside of the county to receive this testing but are limited by available transportation. While the new STI lab was not complete during my time as an intern, I completed different policies and procedures and assisted with overall planning for the new facility.
In addition to working on these programs, I was also able to attend the Public Health Nurses Conference that took place in June. While attending, I learned about how health departments should conduct investigations regarding Hepatitis, CPOs, and other types of diseases. Finally, I helped workers in local companies obtain their CPR and Stop the Bleed certifications and became a certified Stop the Bleed Instructor.
Overall, this experience was especially valuable and incredibly fun. I highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in the medical field, especially one involving work in public health. I would like to personally thank Kelli Goedde, Kellie Waller, Amy Woodley, Carac Johnson, Dr. Kyle Rapp, Libby Kern, Cheryl Reich, and Cindy Reagan for an amazing, memorable, and informative summer, as well as all Wabash sponsors for making this spectacular internship possible.
