Virginia Department of Health – Research Intern

In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic during Summer 2020, I was fortunate enough to receive a remote internship working under direction of the Office of the Commissioner of Health, the Office of Health Equity (OHE), and the Virginia State Office of Rural Health (SORH) with the Virginia Department of Health.

My primary work consisted of conducting research and gathering information on 12-15 focus area topics for the Virginia State Rural Health Plan, with a special focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting rural Virginia. I was also responsible for researching and developing policy recommendations for the recruitment and retention of a rural/underserved primary care workforce.

This internship was sponsored through the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, a nonprofit organization which “encourages the study of poverty as a complex social problem, by expanding and improving educational opportunities for college students in a wide range of disciplines and career trajectories. Through its programs, SHECP and its member institutions prepare students for a lifetime of professional and civic efforts to diminish poverty and enhance human capability, while also supporting connections among students, faculty, staff, and alumni engaged in the study of poverty.”

You can view the internship description here: VDH 2020 Internship Job Description

For a written summary of my summer experience, click the following link: VDH Summer 2020 Internship