2014 Summary ReportStatewide CHIP: 59 students at 46 sitesMilwaukee CHIP: 29 students at 17 sites

June 2 - July 25, 2014

(Page 2) Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report

Wisconsin AHEC’s Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) links undergraduate and graduate student interns with health departments, community health centers, tribal health centers, and community service agencies throughout Wisconsin to address a variety of public health issues.

Projects vary widely to suit interns’ interests and abilities, as well as local needs. Interns are given opportunities to shadow a variety of public health professionals and participate in a web-based public health academic course (statewide CHIP) or weekly public health seminars (Milwaukee CHIP).

On-site mentors provide technical support, assistance, and help interns gain an understanding and appreciation of the broad range of public health activities undertaken at the local level. The program would not be possible without the dedication and com-mitment of these community health professionals, who enrich the educational experience for CHIP participants.

There is also a benefit to the communities where interns are placed. Projects are proposed by the sponsoring agency or health depart-ment and address local health priorities. Priority for placements is given to local health departments and organizations working with rural and underserved populations.

Each intern’s work typically has an immediate, direct impact on the local community or region, as highlighted in this report.

Outcomes

Ove

rvie

wWhat interns say about CHIP...

This internship is a wonderful opportunity to get access to what goes on behind the scenes in

public health departments. It will open up your eyes to many differ-ent experiences and opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to do in school or through your clinical rotations. I was on the fence if public health was the right direction for me to take my nursing career so this internship was a great way to “trial run” this area of health care and I absolutely LOVED it. This solidified that I want to work within public health upon graduation from nursing school.

Meagan LechnerChippewa County

Dept. of Public Health

The education that CHIP provides through the orientation and the Learn@UW curriculum was very valuable and helped me ground my internship. As a recent college grad, CHIP gave me a good bridge from academia to the working world.

Lynnsey EricksonRock County

Health Department

CHIP is a great experience to learn about different programs through-out the state of Wisconsin. Without

CHIP, this summer I would not have learned nearly as much as I did. I built great connections and formed relation-ships that will be

able to help me in the future. I have an interest in rural health, and CHIP was the first time I have been able to get out in a rural community and gain real world experience.  

McKenzie LiegelJuneau/Adams County

WIC

Student evaluations indicate that after participating in CHIP…

96% learned how to identify factors that affect health within a community

98% gained insight into how interprofessional teamwork and collabo-ration are adapted to serve a specific population

96% learned strategies for working effectively in an interprofessional team

91% increased their interest in working in health care shortage areas and with underserved populations

98% felt that CHIP provided an opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge that will be useful regardless of whether they decide to work in public health

“All of my experiences this summer have shown me how important it is to have access to quality and affordable healthcare no matter who you are or where you live.  This has really solidified my desire to work in a rural area in the future.”

Alex ThompsonGreat Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center

Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report (Page 3)

A unique aspect of this internship program is its academic curriculum.

Statewide CHIP

Orientation Day (May 30, 2014)Interns and mentors participated in a day-long session hosted at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.

Topics included:• Mentoring relationships• Health equity and social determinants of health• Advocacy and leadership• Public health panel• Poverty simulation

Learn@UWThroughout the summer, Wisconsin AHEC provided online instruction about community and public health principles and practices. Interns participated remotely from their work sites.

Activities included:• Webinars on health equity, the Affordable Care Act, and County Health

Rankings & Roadmaps.• Sharing photographs, experiences, and impressions of internship sites

and host communities• Interviewing public health professionals• Writing letters to legislators• Reflections on factors that influence public health; policy, systems, and

environmental changes that can impact health; and the role of partner-ships in achieving health

• Final presentations• Reflections on the CHIP experience

The Learn@UW site also has evidence-based resources for interns and mentors, recent news and scholarly articles, volunteer and work opportunities, as well as forums for interns to interact with one another.

Milwaukee CHIP

Weekly Seminar SeriesMilwaukee CHIP interns attended community health presentations at weekly in-person seminars.

Topics included:• Mental health• Gun violence• Epidemiology• Poverty and health• Global health

The Milwaukee interns also visited Walker’s Point Community Clinic, a free clinic for uninsured or underinsured, low income, and homeless, and CORE/El Centro, a natural healing center that provides alternative healing therapies.

Curriculum

Summer 2014 Host Sites

Summer 2014 Projects

Projects at each site cover multiple topics spanning all areas of public and community health, giving students a variety of experiences and allowing each site to address the needs and priorities of their community. See chart on page 5 for specific topics covered by each CHIP project.

(Page 4) Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report

Plac

emen

ts

2014 Project Topics Clinical CL

Communications CO

Education ED

Environmental Health EH

Global Health GH

Health Info Technology IT

Health Promotion HP

Injury Prevention and Safety IS

Lab science LS

Maternal/child health MC

Mental Health MH

Nutrition NU

Oral Health OH

Outreach OU

Program Planning PP

Quality Improvement QI

Reproductive Health RH

Research RS

Substance Use Prevention SU

Placement History

Wisconsin AHEC’s statewide internship program has placed over 360 interns since 2002 in more than 60 health departments and 30 other agencies.

Milwaukee CHIP has placed over 410 students at Milwaukee-area sites since that program began in 2000.

2014 Totals byHost Site Type

33 Public Health Department

6 Community Organization

4 Hospital / Clinic

4 University

3 Tribal Health Department / Center

2 School

Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report (Page 5)

Project Topics Host Site Project Title

Northeastern AHECHP, OU, ED Brown County / Live54218 Obesity Prevention in the Greater Green Bay AreaPP, ED, OU, SU, NU Calumet County Health Division Community Health Improvement Plan ProjectQI, PP, CO Fond du Lac County Health Department Emergency Preparedness AccreditationPP, QI, ED, OU, HP Sheboygan County Div. of Public Health Accreditation Process; Public Health Outreach – 2 interns placed at this siteNU, OU, CO Oshkosh Area Community Pantry Planning and PromotionEH, NU, CO, OU, ED Winnebago County Health Department Festival Food Inspection, Public Access to Restaurant Inspection Data, Farm to SchoolEH, ED, OU Ozaukee County Public Health Dept. Environmental Public Health

North Central AHECMC, OU, CO Chippewa County Dept. of Public Health Promoting Breastfeeding Friendly Day Care CentersQI, PP, OU Clark County Health Department Taking Steps Toward AccreditationOU, RH, MC, CO, ED Eau Claire City-County Health Dept. Family Planning; Safe & Healthy Summer Program – 2 interns placed at this siteRS, EH, LS University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Health Impact Assessment of Frac Sand Mining: Field Sampling of Particulates, SilicaQI, PP, EH Pepin County Health Department Community Health Improvement: Assessment, Analyzing and Clearing the AirCO, ED, HP, OU Portage Cty Aging/Disability Resource Ctr. Evidence Based Health Education- Community Outreach and Marketing GuideRS, ED, QI, IT, OU Marshfield Clinic Education Innovations; Research in Biomedical/Dental Informatics – 2 interns placed at siteNU, HP, ED, OU, CO, IS Wood County Health Department Healthy and Safe Wood County – 2 interns placed at this siteNU, ED, HP, OU Wisconsin Rapids Family Center, Inc. Health Promotion

Northern Highland AHECHP, NU, CO, PP, OU Forest County Health Department Forest County CAN!HP, PP, QI Forest Cty Potawatomi Health/Wellness Ctr Building a Healthier FCP Community / Tribal Public Health AccreditationRH, CO, OU Lincoln County Health Department Social Marketing - Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention CampaignED, OU, SU, HP Oneida County Health Department Public Health OutreachED, OU, HP, PP Shawano-Menominee Health Dept. Community Education and Health Promotion OutreachRS, ED, PP Vilas County, GLITEC Great Lakes Intertribal Epidemiology Center Outreach

Northwest AHECEH, OU, LS Ashland County Health Human Svcs. Dept. Madeline Island Environmental HealthEH, OU, HP, PP Barron County Dept Health Human Svcs. Environmental Health Water Sampling &Thrive Barron CountyED, OU, HP Bayfield County, Red Cliff CHC Tribal Public Health - Red Cliff Community Health CenterEH, MC Rusk County Public Health Dept. Environmental Health & WIC in Rusk CountyCO, ED, OU Sawyer County Health Human Services Sawyer County Communication and Education

Scenic Rivers AHECOU, MC, RS, CO Buffalo County Health Human Services Positively Impacting the Early YearsSU, ED Grant County Health Department Impacting Youth Through Research-Based Substance Abuse Preventation/InterventionEH, ED, OU, IS Jackson County Health Department Coordination of Human Health Hazard Activities & Public Health Education NU, MC, RS, OU Juneau/Adams County WIC Increase Use of WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Checks and WIC Fruit & Vegetable ChecksNU, OU, CO La Crosse County Health Department Harvest of the Month and Farm2School in the Coulee RegionHP, NU, CO, OU Monroe County Health Department Pounding Aweigh - Promoting Healthy Weight for AdultsNU, ED, OU Vernon County Farm to School Program Vernon County Farm to SchoolRS, QI, ED, HP Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center Rural Community Wellness Data Synthesis

South Central AHECQI, CO, PP WI Div of Public Health-Western Region Local and Tribal Health Department AccreditationRS, SU, OU, ED, EH, LS Public Health Madison and Dane County Multiple projects – 7 interns placed at multiple sitesRS, OU, CO, PP University of Wisconsin-Madison Research and Evaluation for the Transform Wisconsin ProjectNU, OU, CO, ED Dane County, Toki Middle School Growing the School GardenHP, CO, PP Green Lake Cnty Dept. Health Human Svcs Wellness Works in Green Lake CountyEH, OU, LS, CL, CO, ED Watertown Department of Public Health Environmental Health; Access to Services to Improve Health – 2 interns placed at siteNU, OU, CO, HP, ED Jefferson/Walworth Counties, W3 Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3) Community PartnershipQI, RS, PP Rock County Health Department Customer Satisfaction SurveysHP, RS, ED Rock County, UW-Extension Public Health Efforts in Rock County: Active Classrooms, StrongWomen, Farm to SchoolCL, OU Waushara Cnty; Family Health/La Clinica Bilingual Health Aide - Mobile Health Unit – 3 interns placed at this siteEH, LS, OU Waushara County Health Department Tri-County Beach Testing Program

Milwaukee AHECOH, OU, HP Kenosha County Division of Health Oral Health Assessment and OutreachIT, RS, QI, ED, CL Milwaukee County: Aurora Health Care Multiple projects – 5 interns placed at multiple sitesMH, CL, OU, RS, QI Aurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic Mental Health; Quantifying the Value of a Medical Clinic for the Uninsured – 3 internsRS, QI, HP, CO, RH, OU, LS City of Milwaukee Health Department Multiple projects – 7 interns placed at multiple sitesNU, OU, CO Milwaukee County, CORE/El Centro Farmer’s Market OutreachOU, NU, IS Greenfield Health Department Health Education & Community OutreachGH, OU, HP, QI Medical College of Wisconsin Global Health; Population Health for Patients/Employees with Diabetes – 2 internsRS, QI, CO, GH , OU Milwaukee Area Health Education Center Health Equity for Vulnerable Pop. via Institute for Urban Health Partnerships – 2 internsED, QI, HP, RS, OU UWM College of Nursing Institute for Urban Health Partnerships – 3 interns placed in multiple projects at this siteRS, QI Bread of Healing Clinic (Cross Lutheran Church) Organizing and Koordinating (OAK) a Free Clinic Database – 2 interns placed at this siteEH, LS Racine Health Department Influence of Rivers on Surface Water Quality (Milwaukee, Racine & Kenosha Counties)EH, OU, LS Walworth County Public Health Community Outreach and Education on Drinking Water Quality and Protection

(Page 6) Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report

Most students selected for the program are college juniors or seniors, first-year health professions graduate students, or other graduate students with a strong interest in public health.

In 2014, 147 applications were received and a total of 88 interns were placed (81 undergrads; seven graduate students including five current medical students).

Academic Majors / Disciplines

Stud

ent P

arti

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Liz LindnerRock County UW-Extension

Liz Lindner, a recent UW-Madison graduate, spent summer and fall 2014 interning in Janesville with Rock County UW-Extension, working on their Strong Women Program. Liz used her public health advocacy skills to make change within the community by encouraging the Janesville YMCA to discontinue offering tanning services.

Recently, Liz was accepted to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at UW-Milwaukee.

“I know my AHEC internships could have been the deciding factor,” she says. “I’m so grateful to have had these opportunities before I go on to graduate school in the healthcare field.”

Keona ThompsonAurora Walker’s Point Community Clinic

Keona Thompson participated in CHIP along with her enrollment in Rural and Urban Scholars in Community Health (RUSCH). Keona interned as a Medication Assistant, concentrating on return on investment and other quality improvement measures.

“My time as a CHIP intern allowed me to gain experience in urban medicine and the extreme health disparities members of urban communities face,” Keona says. “From the weekly public health seminars, I gained a better under-standing of the role public health plays in improving the health of communities. Because of CHIP, I have become further committed to a medical career. I hope to specialize in primary care for the underserved of urban Wisconsin.”

Eileen MallofForest County

Potawatomi Health and Wellness Center

Eileen Mallof, a Marquette University student interested in preventative medicine, interned in the Forest County Potawatomi (FCP) community, which she says “was a great fit for my interest in cross-cultural healthcare.”

Eileen worked on a summer day camp for tribal youth, Prevention Matters newsletter, and a new Reach Out and Read program through FCP’s primary care providers.

“The FCP community taught me invaluable lessons about sustain-ability, relationship-based care, and respect for a community’s priorities, especially as a guest there,” Eileen says. “CHIP will serve me well in my future aspirations to work in public health and interna-tional development.”

Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP] — Summary Report (Page 7)

Colleges and UniversitiesSpring 2014 enrollment of interns Total: 88

Alverno College 1Beloit College 1Carroll University 1Carthage College 1Lawrence University 1Madison Area Technical College 1Marquette University 6Medical College of Wisconsin 4Milwaukee School of Engineering 1New York University 1Northeast Wisconsin Technical College 1Ripon College 1University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 2University of North Carolina 1University of Notre Dame 1University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire 9University of Wisconsin - Green Bay 1University of Wisconsin - La Crosse 3University of Wisconsin - Madison 30University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee 5University of Wisconsin - Parkside 3University of Wisconsin - Platteville 4University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 5University of Wisconsin - Stout 2University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 2

Trevor CooperWaushara County Health Department

Trevor Cooper is studying neurobiol-ogy and global health at UW-Madison. Trevor learned of CHIP through past participation in AHEC’s Interprofes-sional Healthcare Case Competition.

“I was interested in my placement site because I spent a lot of time in the area while growing up and wanted to learn more about it,” Trevor says. “I’m interested in prac-ticing rural medicine and I figured what better way to understand a rural community than to work for the public health department.”

Trevor appreciated the broad range of shadowing experiences, which revealed how a health department addresses all determinants of health. “This experience made me realize an interdisciplinary approach is neces-sary to combat health disparities.”

Brooke ReschShawano-Menominee Health Department

Drawing on her academic intro-duction to public health, Brooke Resch worked on the Shawano- Menominee Counties Health Department’s Community Health Assessment (CHA). “I created many CHA materials and shared them with community members via live presentations, the department’s website, magazine articles, and more,” Brooke says.

In addition to improving her public speaking skills and professional networking, Brooke adds, “the internship taught me a lot about community health and what challenges rural areas face when it comes to their health. These are the experiences that I was hoping to have in CHIP, and I’d recom-mend the program to anyone interested in public health.“

Kate NoelkeScenic Bluffs Community Health Center

While interning in Cashton, Kate Noelke synthesized data about community and employee wellness programs to evaluate and improve the health center’s current program. Kate collaborated with physician Liz Bade, MD, on an abstract: “Creation of a Successful Community Wellness Partnership in Rural Wisconsin,” which was accepted for presentation at the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN) Convocation. Kate has continued to work with Dr. Bade on further research related to community wellness partnerships and rural-population health out-comes. Following her internship, Kate was hired by Scenic Bluffs as Director of Development to continue work she began during her CHIP internship.

FundingThe program is sustained through funding from the State of Wisconsin and from federal and other grants, as well as through support from some of the placement sites.

Thank you to the host sites that provided stipend support:

• Ashland County Health and Human Services Department

• Forest County Health Department• Green Lake Department of Health and

Human Services• Oneida County Health Department• Sheboygan County Div. of Public Health• Toki Middle School• Waushara County Health Department• Wood County Health Department• Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3)

Sponsorship opportunitiesWisconsin AHEC welcomes financial support to sustain CHIP stipends. Please contact us at 608-262-7237 or internships@ahec.wisc.edu.

This program has not only introduced students to public health, but has also provided us a valuable resource to accomplish projects we otherwise do not have the personnel to do.

2014 CHIP Mentor

(Page 8) Wisconsin AHEC 2014 Community Health Internship Program [CHIP]

2015Program Dates

June 8-July 31: InternshipsFriday, June 5: Orientation

Host site proposals / intern requests accepted beginning in October 2014

(early submission encouraged)

Intern applications dueFebruary 16, 2015

Host site and student internship applications are online at: www.ahec.wisc.edu

CHIP is a competitive program. Successful applicants are typically advanced under-graduates or graduate students. In addition to having an interest in community and public health, candidates must be Wisconsin residents or attending a college or university in Wisconsin, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

For more information, contact:

Courtney Saxler, MPH AHEC Internship Coordinator

608-265-6323internships@ahec.wisc.edu

Wisconsin AHEC Program OfficeUniversity of Wisconsin

School of Medicine & Public Health750 Highland Ave, 4th floor HSLC

Madison, WI 53705

About Wisconsin AHECThe Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program is a health professions education and outreach program supported by the State of Wisconsin, federal grants, the state’s health professions training programs, and local communities. It is part of a nationwide network of programs for improving accessibility and quality of primary health care. The national pro-gram was designed to encourage universities and educators to look beyond their institutions to form partnerships that meet community health needs, working toward the goal of decentralizing health professions training and linking communities with academic health centers in partnerships to promote cooperative solutions to local health problems.

The Wisconsin AHEC System consists of seven regional centers located in Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Beloit, Cashton, Wausau, Superior, and Marinette. Each center operates under the direction of its own governing board. A statewide program office, located in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, administers state and federal contracts to the centers and maintains several statewide programs.

Wisconsin AHEC programs serve all the health professions programs in the state. Over the last 20 years, project partnerships have included (in addition to the two medical schools) over 20 BSN nursing programs, eight advanced degree nursing programs, three physician assistant programs, three social work programs, the UW School of Pharmacy, the MPH programs, and a range of allied health and preprofessional programs at the 13 UW System campuses, 21 private colleges, two tribal colleges and 13 UW System two-year campuses. Wisconsin AHEC Centers collaborate regionally with the Wisconsin Technical College System (16 colleges with 47 campuses and numerous outreach centers) particularly the campuses offering associate degree nursing programs and a variety of other health professions technical training programs. Wisconsin AHEC has also worked with family practice residencies sponsored by the UW SMPH, Medical College of Wisconsin and La Crosse-Mayo programs, with a particular focus on the rural training track programs.

Program areas include the following:• Enhancing the learning experience for all health professions students at

community-based sites, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary programs, developing cultural effectiveness, and technology support;

• Supporting health careers recruitment in underserved rural and urban areas, to assist high school and college students from underrepresented populations prepare for entry into health professions schools;

• Supporting faculty mentors and preceptors at community-based training sites with continuing education, technology support and other services to enhance the practice environment and maximize the ability of health professionals in underserved communities to provide high quality health care; and

• Partnering with local organizations in a variety of outreach activities to improve the health of the community.