Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107870

Pia D.M. MacDonald, PhD, MPH¹, Anjum Hajat, MPH², Erin E. Rothney, MPH², and Jennifer A. Horney, MPH². (1) Department of Epidemiology / North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8165, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165, (2) North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8165, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8165, 919-843-5566, jen.horney@unc.edu

Background: The North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness in the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health developed Team Epi-Aid to provide graduate students with practical public health experience through participation in outbreak investigations and other applied projects with state and local health departments in North Carolina. The program provides state and local health departments with access to volunteers and technical expertise from the university when requested. The program has been in operation for 2 years. Methods: Team Epi-Aid student volunteers complete activity report forms after each activity and are asked to complete a program satisfaction survey once each academic year. State/local health department partners are asked to fill out a customer satisfaction survey after each activity. Results: In 2004, Team Epi-Aid assistance was requested for 12 activities. Thirty-two volunteers contributed 298 hours of service, ranging from 2 to 51 hours per activity. Volunteers indicated that the experience augmented classroom training (75%), provided insight into applied public health (100%), and piqued their interest in an applied public health career (81%). All students indicated they would recommend the activity to others. The partner survey (N=9) indicated satisfaction with the partnership (100%), satisfaction with the ability of Team Epi-Aid to meet surge capacity needs for the activity (89%), overall satisfaction with Team Epi-Aid (100%), and anticipation of requesting the service again in the future (100%). Conclusions: Routine evaluation will provide insight into program improvements to benefit both students and partnering agencies.

Learning Objectives: Learning objectives

• Describe the goals and purpose of Team Epi-Aid
• Identify 3 ways that the Team Epi-Aid program is being routinely evaluated
• Discuss the benefits of Team Epi-Aid to both students and local/state health departments

Keywords: Service Learning, Students

Related Web page: www.sph.unc.edu/nccphp/teamepiaid.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation