Graduate Student Internship Program

This internship has been filled.

Rhode Island

Health Disparities Analysis & Monitoring
Rhode Island Department of Health
Office of Special Healthcare Needs, Providence, RI
Skill Area: Data Analysis and Monitoring

Agency Information

The Health Disparities and Access to Care Team works toward the elimination of health disparities with a special focus on racial and ethnic disparities and populations with special needs, to improve health status for all people. This work includes community, agency and governmental partners to improve the access, quality and availability of primary care and rural health throughout the state. The team consists of the Office of Special Healthcare Needs, the Office of Minority Health, the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health and the Office of Women’s Health. The Health Disparities and Access to Care Team defines health disparities as an inequality in health status, disease incidence, disease prevalence, morbidity or mortality rates between populations as impacted by access to services, quality of services, health behaviors and environmental triggers. The disparately affected populations may be defined by race and ethnicity, disability status, educational status, gender, income, insurance status and sexual orientation.

The intern will support the Office of Women's Health at the Rhode Island Department of Health. Using state, hospital, and national data sets related to maternal and child health, the intern will assist with analyses to inform state policy and institutional research opportunities. The intern will be located at the Department of Health and supervised by the Chief of the OWH, and will also have the opportunity to engage with clinicians, researchers, and administrators participating on the Women's Health Council. The Women's Health Council has representation from leadership at the Department of Health, Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, and other public health partners.

Purpose, goals, and objectives of internship

The ultimate goal is to reduce perinatal health disparities among Rhode Island women. The graduate intern will analyze available state and national data sets to identify risk factors for poor perinatal health and associated poor health outcomes among Rhode Island women.

Data or analytic tasks and activities

The major data sources for the project will be the Women's Health Screening Referral Program Data (state data set), MCH database (state data set), and Perinatal Health Database (hospital data set).

The intern will use these data sources to identify persons who have had high risk pregnancies and determine risk factors and preventable outcomes related to perinatal health. Findings will inform state MCH policies and research related to access to care, clinical practices, and quality improvement.

Data or analytic skills required

Proficient using SAS and MS Excel. Experience manipulating large databases. Formal training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Ability to work in a team setting to perform specific tasks/analyses contributing to a larger product. Effective communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written.

Supervisors

Primary: Deborah Garneau, Chief, Office of Special Health Care Needs, RI Department of Health

Secondary: Hanna Kim, Senior Epidemiologist, RI Department of Health

Internship begins

With a notice of at least 2 months, anytime would be fine.

Housing

There may be housing available through Brown University.

Transportation

The worksite is accessible via public transportation.

Back to top