Introduction

In 2018, I was given the opportunity to intern at the Alzheimer's Association in my hometown, Portland, OR through the Winter Mann-Hill Fellowship. The mission of this non-profit is to "eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health." At the time, I was volunteering at Regions Hospital as a part of their Healthy Brain Program that deals with detecting of patients at risk of delirium and dementia, which is an early sign of alzheimer's. I wanted to deepen my knowledge on the disease, and because I already had a lot of experience in the laboratory, I knew I wanted to intern at a non-profit to gain more experiences working in different sectors of public health.

My Role & Takeaways

Before starting my internship, I came in thinking that my main focus would be to increase the Association’s outreach towards the Vietnamese community and initiating a connection between the two. Once I started, however, I soon realized that the Association did not have a meaningful relationship with virtually any minority groups. Instead of only focusing on the Vietnamese community, I was tasked with building a foundation for the Association to connect with diverse communities, specifically the Latino, Vietnamese, Native American, and the African communities.

As part of my work, I translated informational materials and educational brochures about Alzheimer’s from English to Vietnamese, scouted for minority-focused organizations and clinics and then served as a liaison in efforts of forging closer connections between the Association and minority communities. My internship at the Alzheimer’s Association provided me with the opportunity to assist in teaching “Know the 10 Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease,” a course that the Association holds annually at different locations throughout Portland. Through my interactions in this course, I witnessed the impacts the Association plays within the community. For example, I saw many elderly individuals who didn't have access to information, however, because they knew about the Association, they were able to reach out for help. Though the Association does great work within the community, I quickly realized that almost everyone that attended this course appeared to be caucasian, which further made me realize the healthcare disparities that exist between different ethnic groups.

Though access to the Alzheimer’s Association’s information and resources are free and available to anyone, most minority groups are unaware of them. There is a big need in outreach work towards increasing the awareness of community resources and services, towards people of color. I did not previously realize how disconnected the Association was with minority groups, and I was happy to be responsible for initiating that linkage between the Association and diverse minority groups. Although the work I did with the association slightly differed from what I initially thought I would be doing, I was not disappointed. Furthermore, it provided me with the opportunity to expand my professional network by talking with program directors of organizations, physicians, and co-workers. Working as an outreach intern for a non-profit organization that focused on a public health issue made me realize that public health is something that I want to pursue in the future. I was able to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, fundings of non-profit organizations, and various types of work that the association funds and focuses on.