HOSA OSG Internship Day 5 - July 15, 2011

Aakash, Angel and Samiha were presented with the OCVMRC-HOSA certificates.

On July 15, 2011, the last day of the internship, Angel, Samiha and Aakash spent their time in the OCVMRC finalizing their research projects. After the projects were completed, the interns presented them to CAPT. Tosatto, LTJT Hager and OCVMRC intern Tahlia. Samiha gave a presentation on Promoting Public Initiatives that HOSA chapters and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) can implement in their schools and communities, while Aakash presented his Emergency Preparedness Competencies that could be utilized in HOSA competitions. Angel reviewed and gave suggestions of ways the Medical Reserve Corps could improve their website. CAPT. Tosatto, LTJT Hager took notes and are planning to utilize each project to enhance the relationship of the MRC and HOSA. Before the interns said their final goodbyes to Capt. Tosatto, CAPT. Tosatto presented the OSG OCVMRC-HOSA certificates to Angel, Samiha and Aakash. The internship was an awarding experience to the HOSA interns who had the first-hand experience to see how the infrastructure in the Public Health Service works. Sitting in on conference calls and meetings and receiving valuable lessons from different influential members of the OSG was a great opportunity for the interns to see and learn from. The OCVMRC and HOSA will continue to collaborate on ways to expand the opportunities for future HOSA interns, creating a growing partnership between the Medical Reserve Corps and Health Occupations Students of America. 

HOSA OSG Internship Day 3 - July 13, 2011

On day 3 the HOSA interns arrived at the MRC office and met briefly with LTJO Katie Hager to clarify their project assignments. Aakash Patel’s project is on training modules for MRC and the emergency response system, Samiha Azam’s project is on choosing 3 public health initiatives that relate to childhood obesity such as the “Let’s Move” campaign supported by the Surgeon General and First Lady, Obama, and Angel Clark’s project is to review MRC web language and add suggestions for the new information on MRC Partner’s to be added to the web site as well as review the social marketing ideas and add suggestions. The interns spent about an hour gathering information for their project, then they headed to Bethesda Naval Base and Walter Reed Hospital. They took a short tour of the new construction at Walter Reed Hospital where there are new areas for recovering soldiers and other federal employees to participate in state of the art physical therapy. Some of the things that soldiers use to recover from injuries include a rock climbing wall, a therapy pool, and a walking track. The interns had a wonderful lunch at the hospital then headed to Sanford Auditorium at Bethesda to take in the Promotion and Awards ceremony that only happens once a year. LT. Payne was promoted to LT. Commander Payne and LTJG Hager was given an achievement medal for outstanding work. Before the ceremony we toured the Uniformed University and gathered brochures and some great information. After the ceremony the interns attended a reception where they conversed and ate cake with the Deputy Surgeon General, Captain Tosatto, LT Commander Payne, LTJG Hager, and other USPHS personnel. From there the interns headed back to the hotel to eat and change clothes before Captain Tosatto arrived to pick them up and take them on a night time tour of Georgetown and Washington, DC. It was a full and interesting day. Aakash, Samiha and Mrs. Clark all agree, this week is going by way too fast.

Samiha, Aakash and Angel Clark with the Deputy Surgeon General, RADM Boris Lushniak.

HOSA OSG Internship Day 4 - July 14, 2011

Today, Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash spent most of the morning working on their projects. Mrs. Clark is working on a presentation regarding MRC web language and social marketing that will provide suggestions in order to facilitate with the creation of the new MRC website which is scheduled to launch on July 27. Samiha’s project focuses on implementing three initiatives that complement the “Let’s Move Campaign” and finding ways for HOSA members to engage in these initiatives. Aakash’s project involves finding appropriate training lessons in emergency response that can be utilized by MRC volunteers in order to help them respond to disasters and emergencies in a more efficient capacity. After working on their projects for a while, the three interns where able to join the MRC and an outside web design company for a meeting that focused on the creation of the new MRC website. Later, Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash sat in on an Integrated Training Summit (ITS) conference call involving the MRC, Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD), and other commissioned officers in the United States Public Health Service. This call was the first of many steps to organize the details of the ITS, which is an annual conference held in May. Immediately following this call was an MRC-HOSA coordination call, led by CAPT. Tosatto, which included National HOSA staff members Karen Koeninger and George Sifakis, the MRC, JOAG, and COA. During the conference call, CAPT. Tosatto gave a briefing on the successful presence of the MRC and United States Public Health Service at the past HOSA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim and how the presence of the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, played a significant role in benefiting both HOSA and the MRC. Also discussed in the call was ways for HOSA members to connect to their local MRC unit, especially through the MRC partnership event. Overall, this conference call was very exciting as it enabled the three interns to view the growth of the relationship between the MRC and HOSA over the past few years. The day concluded with the three interns continuing to work on their projects. Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash look forward to their final day of their internship in the Office of the Surgeon General.  

HOSA OSG Internship Day 2 - July 12, 2011

On the second day of the internship, Angela Clark, Samiha Azam and Aakash Patel started the day off by going to the Office of the Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and were introduced to Carter Blakely (Acting Director), Holly Mcpeak and LT. Stacey McBryde. They learned about the promoting health literacy to the public, health education and disease prevention. They later went down to visit the Office of the Force Management where they were introduced to CAPT. Dean Coppala and were given a briefing of what the office did and consisted of. Introductions to staff members such as CAPT. Prince and briefings of their positions and duties in the office were given to the HOSA interns. Angela, Samiha and Aakash learned the importance of infrastructure within office. They later headed off to meet George Sifakis, a political activist for HOSA in the HOSA Washington Office, who helps implement HOSA’s efforts. The later half of the day was spent in the Office of Human Health Services, where they were introduced to the Deputy Surgeon General, RADM Boris Lushinak, the Chief of Staff, RADM Halliday and the aid to the Surgeon General, LT Christine Collins. The HOSA interns were given important advice of about leadership, communication and attitude for success. Angel, Samiha and Aakash along with the Office of Forced Readiness and Deployment interns were given the opportunity to visit the Secretary Operations Center (SOC) where they were able to see an actual conference call take place. The SOC is a key component to the United States for keeping everyone updated on emergencies and disasters. They later met with Marko Mijic, a HOSA alumni who is working in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). He briefed the interns on his daily duties and responsibilities as an Assistant. Their day concluded with a dinner with CAPT. Rob Tosatto, CAPT. Narayan Nair and LTJT Katie Hager. Meeting with some of the most influential leaders of the U.S. Public Health and learning about the responsibilities and purpose the leaders hold gave the interns and amazing outlook to what holds and keeps the U.S. Public Health System running. 

HOSA OSG Internship Day 1 - July 11, 2011

The three HOSA interns with LTJG Hager, CAPT Tosatto, and Lt. Payne in the Office of the Surgeon General

Today marked the first day of the weeklong internship in the Office of the Surgeon General for Mrs. Angel Clark, Samiha Azam, and Aakash Patel. The three HOSA-OSG interns were excited for the first day and were greeted by LTJG Katie Hager who was kind enough to serve as our host for the week. The morning consisted of a basic introduction, led by Lt. Payne and Capt. Tosatto, about the infrastructure of the United States Public Health Service. They talked about the many goals and duties of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and United States Public Health Commissioned Corps and how they play a key role in protecting, promoting, and advancing the public health and safety of the nation. The MRC is a dynamic group of local volunteers, some of whom have a medical background, that serve the healthcare needs of their local community. The Commissioned Corps is another asset of the public health service which consists of uniformed officers who primarily respond to emergencies across the country. Later, the three interns were able to sit through an MRC staff meeting conference call, led by Capt. Nair where they talked about their plans and goals for the week ahead. Shortly thereafter, the three HOSA-OSG interns met with three other interns in the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment and got to know them over lunch. In the afternoon, Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash met with other leaders in the Office of the Surgeon General including Capt. Beck and Commander Davis who discussed the many challenges of public health, especially the issue of legal protection for medical volunteers. They also provided insight on how public health is carried out on Native American reservations through the Indian Health Services. The most interesting aspect the three interns were able to take away was the diversity of the members in the United States Public Health Service. Some members were physicians and nurses while others were engineers and dentists. They helped us understand that it is possible to connect your own passion with the public health service and that when you serve in public health, you indirectly alter the lives of numerous individuals. The three interns were able to end the day with a greater understanding of the United States Public Health Service after being provided with a wealth of information over the course of the day. Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash are excited about and look forward to the second day of the internship!