Approaching Research about the Health System with a Health Equity Perspective

As a Project Research Intern at SEIU Healthcare 1199NW for the capstone component of the Public Health Major during my senior year, I am continuously learning how challenging, complex, yet rewarding it is to work for health equity for the people who tend to the treatment of health outcomes in the population. I assist the External Project Researcher in creating analysis regarding the current and projected state of Telehealth from healthcare worker, patient, and health system perspectives. SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Healthcare 1199NW is the local affiliate of SEIU that serves as a healthcare union. The mission of this union is the belief that healthcare works best when healthcare employees have a strong, representative voice in decision-making. Being united together ensures that healthcare workers’ benefits and pay allows every employee and their families to live a decent life. This experience was valuable to me because I improved on the competencies of advocating for a point of view, functioning independently, and excellence.

My role as a Project Research Intern is significant to me because it emphasized my core values of equity and determination. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be one of the five students who would could work with SEIU Healthcare 1199NW for my capstone. It has been an experience where I have seen how important it is to analyze the way that healthcare organizations are functioning in terms of how it affects healthcare workers and patients. My values of equity and determination motivate me in trying my best as an intern to do provide quality work that is sufficient and accurate to use when advocating for union members. As an advocate for health equity, being a Project Research Intern is inspiring for me to see that there is hope in ensuring that everyone has a chance to have a healthy life and work environment.

• Performed 52 hours of service as an intern from January 2018 through May 2018 (and continuing on until June 2018)
• Assist project supervisor in creating analysis regarding the current and projected state of Telehealth from healthcare worker, patient, and health system perspectives
• Composed a literature review and one-page brief, as well as other summary documents in research writing formats related to other union healthcare worker topics
• Communicate research analysis with project supervisor and other project research interns through weekly 30 minute - 1 hour meetings
• Facilitated one weekly 1 hour meeting on-campus which included creating an agenda and reserving a study room for the meeting, as well as one weekly 45 minute conference call meeting
• Engaged with stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the trend of Telehealth in relation to patient access, health providers, health care system, and public health lens

Advocating for a Point of View

Effectively communicated my beliefs on the unfair aspects of the healthcare system in regards to the high cost of healthcare for low-income populations, and the discriminatory tendencies that both patients and healthcare providers who are People of Color face during the weekly meetings in relation to my research about Telehealth. This point of view makes me more interested when I do research on how Telehealth is being considered more when communicating via video call or email with healthcare providers for patients.

Functioning Independently

I did not know how to write a one-page brief prior to being Project Research Intern, so I conducted my own research on finding valid resources that provided examples of how to write an effective, concise one-page brief for my supervisor. She was impressed that I took the initiative on my own to find examples to guide my written work on my one-page brief and told me that this is a great skill to have in the workplace.

Excellence

Ever since I could remember, I performed every task that was given to me or was expected of me to complete to the best of my ability in order to produce the best possible product that I can give. I always want to give my full effort in everything that I do, especially if it is toward a goal such as networking and potentially obtaining a job. Thus, I try to give my best effort in the research that I do for SEIU 1199NW and sending the progress of my work to my supervisor in a timely manner. I organize my writings in comprehensible formats, such as creating a literature review matrix that summarize the research articles that I plan to use for the literature review draft about Telehealth for my supervisor.

As a Project Research Intern at SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, I know that I am still learning and building upon professional skills that can be transferable to my career in the future. I am still continuing on with this role, but I have already gained the competencies in advocating for a point of view, excellence, and functioning independently which are effective in being a leader in the public health field in the future. In conclusion, I will use the skills that I will continue to gain from this experience to apply in work for health equity in King County.