 Rebecca, Officer/Director,
Monroe County Health Department
UM SPH Degree(s): M.S. '74; Ph.D., '83, Environmental Health Sciences/Toxicology
Describe your job. What is a typical day like?
My job entails focusing on improving, maintaining & developing diverse public health programs. One day may include policy review, what to craft for review & consideration by local elected officials or drafting a letter to a state legislator, regarding how a recently introduced bill may enhance or harm public health actives. Another day’s schedule may involve review and update meetings with managers and other staffers or deciding when to implement new programs or alter an existing one & what resources are necessary to support those. Other activities may be to examine critical program needs or how to measure program accomplishments and what those measures may mean for the health of those in the community. Presentations to elected officials or interested colleagues or community members occur regularly as communicating results and program information is a necessary component of the job. Local public health department programs vary and offer services in immunization, family planning & STD diagnosis/treatment, dental, specific maternal-child health, nutritional (WIC), emergency preparedness, solid waste planning & reduction, general environmental health (well, septic field, food service inspection & licensing), laboratory and others.
Thinking back about your Michigan experience, do you have any stories (funny or unique) you could share?
When I was preparing to meet with my dissertation committee, I first reviewed my research project results with one of my committee members and my advisor. It became apparent that I had completed two projects and was about to embark on solving a third research problem. At that point, I was advised to present my materials & stop being a student – time to enter the work world. So I did – and this was helpful because I had an excellent position waiting for me!
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