PRACTICUM MATTERS
The UIC SPH Practicum/Field Experience Newsletter—Fall 2015
Improving the Lives of Chicago
School Children
Although many MPH students complete their
program on a full-time basis, we have a fair number
of part-time students who work full-time positions that
are not directly related to public health. For these
students, the field practicum can be more than just
another degree requirement—it is often an eyeopening experience. HPA student Deanna Bellandi
was one of those who learned firsthand how public
health initiatives can provide Chicago school children
a better learning experience, and thus a better life.
“I spent my summer semester working at
Communities In Schools of Chicago (CISC) at its
office in Greektown—it was a fantastic summer!
CISC is a national non-profit that helps connect
schools with much-needed programs. The
organization works with 125 Chicago public schools
and about 170 different community partners. The
mission is to surround students with a community of
support to help them learn and succeed in school and
life. Last school year, CISC helped more than 60,000
students across the city access an array of programs
and services in areas like the arts, college and career
readiness, healthcare, and behavioral/mental health.
All the services are free.
this document for CISC. I did qualitative and
quantitative data analysis for the Community
Partnership team, both on a partner survey and a
core competency checklist. I also used Microsoft
Excel to analyze data, and learned how to construct
and use pivot tables.
“The field experience was the perfect complement to
my formal MPH coursework because of its strong
focus on identifying effective elements of health
promotion and the knowledge I gained about
implementing public health programs in schools in
the real world. I gained a greater appreciation for the
struggles of non-profits, agencies, and schools
around implementing public health initiatives for
Karen, Deanna, and Katrina proudly pose with the
CISC sign.
everything from sexual health education, to obesity
prevention and mental health services. I also gained
knowledge about the financing arm of non-profit work
by spending some time with CISC development
officials. The best public health programs won’t work
if there is no funding for agencies such as CISC to
push them out to students.
Deanna Bellandi (center) confers with Katrina
Pavlik (left) and preceptor Karen Roddi
“A highlight of what I did was contribute to a literature
review of best-practices for effective health promotion
programs that CISC can share with its community
partners. As part of that project, I helped conduct
expert interviews before drafting the initial version of
“My summer practicum has so far been a highlight of
my MPH program. With 25 years of work experience,
it gave me new experiences and exposed me to reallife public health work.”
2
Brownfield Re-use: Public Health
Implications of the Environment
It’s not often that more than one UIC SPH student
can be working on the same practicum project, let
alone students from different divisions. The Agency
for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR)
Brownfield Re-use Initiative is one such project that
has engaged students from both EOHS and
Epidemiology. Nayila Mulati and Jeff Graupner
reflect on their experience under their preceptor Dr.
Laurel Berman, an alumna of the UIC School of
Public Health.
Nayila Mulati
“The ATSDR Brownfield/Land Reuse Health Initiative
helps communities incorporate health considerations
in land reuse decisions. People can turn vacant or
under-used land into places that benefit the whole
area. ATSDR works with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), state and local officials,
developers, and communities to include health in
these types of projects.
revitalize the community. Moreover, throughout the
practicum we went out and saw those communities.
It was quite fascinating to see real issues in person to
get a vivid picture of the community’s problems that
we were working on.”
Jeff Graupner
“When I first learned of a potential opportunity to work
with the ATSDR and their Brownfield Re-use
Initiative, I was excited yet wholly unaware of many
aspects involved in such an internship. My
excitement stemmed from the fact that I had recently
discovered an interest in environmental
epidemiology. And yet, beyond a vague definition of
a brownfield, I was not sure exactly how a federal
program like the ATSDR functions to improve
community health by addressing problematic
brownfield sites. Even though I’m only halfway
through my practicum, I can get a firsthand glimpse
of how national programs successfully interact with
local committees to better the health and wellness of
communities.
“Over the years, the ATSDR gave funding to several
communities all over the United States to help them
revitalize their community associated with
brownfields. Our work is to interview those grantees
all over the country and to write up stories to make
available to the public.
“For the first stage, I did much research on the
ATSDR Web site in terms of brownfields/land reuse
site in seven areas of the United States,
corresponding to the seven ATSDR grantees, and
completely familiarized myself on all aspects of
brownfield problems that correlate to communities. I
was amazed by the fact that even one change on a
brownfield can significantly improve a community’s
economics, education, and most importantly overall
health.
“Next, our team contacted different grantees to ask
them about their project, including background of the
project, early outcomes, success, and challenges to
get the first draft of their story. The challenge that we
faced is how to get their responses in a short time.
They are all busy people, and sometimes it slowed
down our progress. In addition, we also needed
further follow up with them to get information on
some missing points. Nevertheless, once we get all
of the information that we are looking for, we can
start our first draft and finish it quickly.
“My favorite part of the project was seeing how the
community uses existing and extra resources to
Front row seated: Nayila Mulati, Vidya Mohanam,
and Dr. Laurel Berman
Back row standing: DePaul Student Mariane
Magbama and Jeff Graupner
“Working closely with Dr. Laurel Berman of the
ATSDR, as well as an EHOS grad student Nayila
Mulati, our specific project has been to compile the
success stories of communities who have been
awarded grants through the Brownfield Initiative.
Eleven grantees, scattered throughout the U.S., each
applied for federal funding to tackle problems in their
communities left in the wake of unused, and often
hazardous, land. While each story is certainly
different, the common themes have been made quite
clear. For one, brownfields can have lasting and
pervasive effects on communities beyond some of
the more obvious effects. A community with a poor
(cont’d page 3)
3
image of itself can aggravate health and economic
problems already present: unemployment, vacant
housing, substance abuse, etc. Another common
theme, however, is the coming together of the
community to do something about these problems.
Committees are formed and meetings are held, all in
the effort to proactively make a real difference in their
surroundings.
“It has been inspirational for me to see this process of
communities addressing local problems using
national funding. At the same time, however, there
are clear challenges that also are common themes
across the board. Trust between community
members, academics, and federal employees is
absolutely crucial and something that needs to be
built over time. Since many of these cities and towns
are underserved in many aspects, trust is not
necessarily a commodity easy to come by. However,
after talking with Dr. Serap Erdal, a grantee for
Southeastern Chicago and Blue Island as well as a
professor at UIC, I’ve learned that relationships
between community members will take time but have
much to offer. By helping a community help itself,
scientists and public health workers can do their part
to better communities. As I continue to write up
stories of grantees from across the country, I will
certainly continue to be inspired by people willing to
take a stand for a healthier sustainable future.”
“I am completing my fieldwork practicum at the Illinois
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).
One of my learning objectives at ICIRR is to promote
public health by presenting it in a well-informed
manner. So far, I have made progress toward this
objective by helping to prepare a map of Cook
County along with a list of the corresponding
municipalities, which was used to determine if
residents lived within boundary lines and eligible to
participate in ICIRR’s new healthcare program for the
uninsured.
“Beyond my learning objectives though, my internship
at ICIRR has taught me one very important thing
about public health. I have learned that the
importance of policy cannot be neglected. If public
health professionals want to be advocates for change
on any type of cause, they have got to make sure
that existing policies are on their side. If not, then
change has got to begin at the policy level before any
success can be seen.
The Vitality of Public Health Policy
Since the UIC SPH began its undergraduate program
in 2012, we have seen more and more students
engaged in the all-important field experience,
introducing them to the realities of public health
practice. Amnah Mohammed learned firsthand the
crucial role policy plays and is helping her to shape
some long-term career goals in the process.
Undergraduate Amnah Mohammed discusses
data with her preceptor Luvia Quinones
Amnah and Luvia pose outside the ICIRR office
“Being an intern at ICIRR has certainly given me the
opportunity to be part of future policy change and see
what it’s really like to be on the forefront of the health
policy arena. Some of my work included entering
survey data, which will go toward enacting policies
regarding healthcare for predominantly Latino/Latina
residents in Chicago. I am also in the middle of
researching an alternative healthcare program for the
uninsured in order to help ICIRR see what else is out
there and what other counties are doing. I hope to
continue learning about, and being exposed to, public
health and policy at ICIRR; and I know that such an
experience will truly benefit me once I enter the field.”
4
Public Health Practice in Oral
Health
Wanda Laszcz’s practicum experience with the
American Dental Association (ADA) is another
example, like Deanna Bellandi’s (page 1), of an
accomplished professional who learned more from
the practicum than she anticipated. Caring for the
dental needs of the elderly gave Wanda a broader
perspective of oral health that she hadn’t experienced
through her own practice. As you will see, the ADA
practicum may influence Wanda’s work for years to
come.
Wanda Laszcz (right) reviews a report with her
preceptor, Dr. Barbara Smith.
ways that the ADA can help so that IME is being
used most efficiently.
“Researching IME and Medicaid, as well as learning
more about the dental issues that the elderly have, is
very eye-opening. For over 10 years, I have worked
as a dentist exclusively for low income children. As a
result I am very familiar with the challenges that this
population faces. However, researching the elderly
and having a chance to advocate for them as well
has demonstrated to me that this group is just as
vulnerable.
“As a working full-time dentist, completing the
practicum as a traditional student was not an option
for me. It was critical that I found a practicum site that
was both interesting to me and that would allow me
to complete the hours slowly over the course of a few
months. Fortunately, I found both at the ADA. Initially,
I was concerned that being here only one day per
week would make it very difficult to make any
progress on projects. However, this is not the case.
I’ve actually found that being away for a few days
allows me to reconsider current approaches and
come up with new ideas.
“I look forward to each day that I am at the ADA, and
enjoy working with such a dedicated and driven
group of people. I have learned a lot about how
dentistry and public health intersect. While I do not
know what my future holds, I am certain that what I
am learning here at the ADA will be a part of it.”
“My learning objectives include gaining an enhanced
understanding of organizational issues and
challenges, and completing a defined project in an
area of public health practice. I am making progress
toward both of these during my practicum at the
American Dental Association (ADA). My preceptor,
Dr. Barbara Smith, is the Manager of Geriatrics and
Special Needs Population with the Council on
Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations.
“Increasingly, older adults arriving at the long-term
care facility are not denture wearers but have their
natural teeth. The deterioration of their oral health
during their stay can severely impact quality of life
and systemic health. Some older adults rely on
Medicaid to help pay for their dental treatment.
Unfortunately, state budgets are tight, and adult
dental services are often cut from Medicaid benefits.
However, the Incurred Medical Expense (IME)
regulations can help most nursing facility residents
who are enrolled in Medicaid pay for their dental
care. Using this mechanism requires coordination
among the major Stakeholders in IME – the resident,
the dentist, and the facility. My project includes
constructing and administrating a survey that will be
sent to nursing home facilities. The survey will help
determine if IME is being used, and will help identify
Dr. Smith and Wanda pose in the lobby of the
ADA’s office located on Chicago Avenue.
5
A Close-up View of Our Evolving
Health Care System
It’s becoming a common theme with the UIC SPH’s
undergraduate students that the field experience is
one of the most valuable pieces of their curriculum
and it’s probably a safe assumption this proved true
for Steven Chrzas as well. Steven’s field experience
allowed him to learn the in’s-and-out’s of a managed
care organization and challenged him to use his soft
skills. The following is a short narrative of some of
what he has experienced at Community Care
Alliance of Illinois.
“Following the major changes to the U.S. health
system following the passage of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),
companies like Community Care Alliance of Illinois
(CCAI) were formed to fill the new space within the
marketplace. Managed care organizations are still
coming into their own in the United States, giving me
the unique opportunity to observe the evolution of our
health care system. I only have exposure to this one
organization, but I am able to see the challenges and
success of this one example of managed care.
“My preceptor is the director of long-term services
and supports, and many of the employees I have
contact with are Care Coordinators; mostly social
workers who are paired with an RN counterpart to
provide care coordination. One of the projects I’ve
worked on is the evaluation of CCAI’s use of the
Purple Binder Social Services resource. We’ve been
looking at the use of Purple Binder by Care
Coordinators for trends and referrals to community
services. Purple Binder allows our Care
Coordinators to refer their members to a wide variety
of services not covered by CCAI. For example,
Purple Binder has everything from furniture to adult
literacy classes, allowing our Care Coordinators to
take their support of our members to the next level.
“Care coordination is all about bringing everyone to
the table, member included, to provide the best
service possible. In doing so, we establish strategic
partnerships with all of our providers, allowing us to
get our members the most effective care. Without
partnerships across fields and expertise, CCAI
wouldn’t be able to provide the same level of service.
So I’ve been able to really conceptualize the
importance of these partnerships, seeing as I can’t
imagine how our care coordination would look without
them.
“My favorite part of my time at CCAI is the fact that
I’ve been exposed to so many different aspects of the
company’s operations and have been able to sit in on
a diverse set of meetings. I’ve witnessed everything
from the daily interactions of my preceptor with the
Care Coordinators, to our Company’s quarterly
review with the State of Illinois. While mostly working
within the realm of long-term services and supports,
I’ve also been exposed to aspects of the
communications team and other company-wide
initiatives, such as the unveiling of our new care
management system. As an undergraduate student
I’ve found it quite enlightening to not only get to see
public health concepts in practice, but to also be
around the daily workings of a company.”
Steven Chrzas discusses care coordination with
Preceptor Kristen Pavle.
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Does your agency have practicum opportunities you’d
like to make available to our students? Please contact:.
Annette Clemens, Field Practicum Coordinator
UIC School of Public Health
Office of Student Affairs (MC 923)
1603 West Taylor Street, 175 SPHPI
Chicago, Illinois 60612
312.355.4272 (phone)
312.413.4300 (fax)
ajc@uic.edu
You can find more information at:
http://publichealth.uic.edu.
Editor
Annette Clemens
Practicum Matters newsletter is published by the Office
of Student Affairs in the UIC School of Public Health.
The school is dedicated to protecting and improving the
health of people in Chicago, across the nation, and
around the world. To this end, UIC SPH faculty, staff,
students, and alumni are reaching out to local
communities, city and state officials, and international
partners with cutting-edge research, community-based
health services, and groundbreaking public health
policy.