Overview of Internship Sit: CINCH/ Healthy Portsmouth
I am currently completing my internship with CINCH/ Healthy Portsmouth, an organization located within Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. Healthy Portsmouth was established in 2010 with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Prevention’s Action Communities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) grant.
Since its inception, the coalition has undertaken a variety of successful projects aimed at improving policies, systems, and environments related to health within the communities. These efforts have included advancing education, improving healthcare access, and promoting healthier lifestyle choices for the residents of the community.
Mission and Vision
The mission of Healthy Portsmouth is to strengthen and sustain a coalition of community leaders who are committed to promoting change. This is achieved through partnership-building and policy-making initiatives that contribute to health that contribute to a healthier Portsmouth.
The organization’s vision is for Portsmouth to be recognized as the healthiest place in the Hampton Roads area, a community where residents can live, learn, play, work, and worship in a healthy and supportive environment.
Organizational Goals
The primary goal of CINCH/ Healthy Portsmouth is to promote optimal structural and environmental conditions that are conducive to health for all community members. This is accomplished through the collaborative engagement of its member organizations and the dissemination of vital information and resources.
Some objectives of CINCH/ Healthy Portsmouth include:
- Policy Development
- Community Engagement and Partnership
- Education and Awareness
- Improvement of Health Systems
- Environmental Health Initiatives
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Resource Mobilization and Sustainability
Background information on Preceptor
Ms. Amy Paulson has served as an instructor at Eastern Virginia Medical School Pediatrics since 2008 as well as has served since 2006 in an administrative appointment as Director of the Consortium for Infant and Child Health (CINCH), a community coalition and health collaborative focused on child health and equity. She has worked as a public health professional for over 27 years. For the past 22 years, she has focused her career primarily on implementation science for community application of evidence-based best practices using a community participatory approach related to organizational, local, and state-level policy, systems and environmental change for pediatric public health and healthy communities. She served as Project Investigator (PI) on twenty-eight grants and a Co-Investigator on seventeen grants totaling over $11 million, as well as serving as a key staff member on another $1.5 million grant. She has overseen grant projects, as well as consulted and presented locally and nationally, on a variety of topics related to coalition development and maintenance, community leadership building, strategic development, health policy advocacy, health equity, chronic disease, maternal health, and pediatric health. Her work is focused on health promotion, behavior, and social justice as it applies to community systems and policies, particularly in underserved populations. She has been the lead or co-lead on multiple grants, projects, and policy change initiatives focusing on tobacco and marijuana use, teen vaping, and tobacco/smoke-free places. Ms. Paulson holds Bachelor’s degrees in Business in Healthcare Administration and Psychology, both from Appalachian State University, and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Other relevant information
Bon Secours Maryyview Medical Center is a partner with Healthy Portsmouth, collaborating on various health initiatives. The coalition focuses on several critical areas including mental health, chronic disease management, substance abuse, and tobacco use prevention.
As an intern at the CINCH/Healthy Portsmouth, some of my responsibilities include communicating and coordinating outreach efforts on specific health topics. This includes providing telephone support and developing social media posts, project flyers, educational materials, and presentations. Additionally, I assist in the development of outreach strategies and engage with the community through seminars and educational events. My role also involves scheduling events and coordinating with host sites.
During this internship, I am expected to acquire a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively design, implement, and sustain health improvement initiatives at a community level. This will involve gaining insights into best practices for community engagement, health education, and policy advocacy.