CHIP Internships
Apply for a CHIP Internship! Deadline: February 12.
You do not need to be in the certificate program to apply for an internship. Applicants
must be current graduate students in a public health program at the University of
Michigan. EPID680 & EPID525 are not prerequisites but placements may prefer applicants
that have taken both classes. If you have relevant experience be sure to note it
in your application. (View rubric)
Placements are available at hospitals around Michigan but most are in the Ann Arbor/Detroit
area. Applicants who are called back for an interview will receive details of current
placements. There are usually between 5-10 placements available.
CHIP interns are getting noticed!
"Risk Factors and Outcomes Associated With Hospital-Onset Peripheral Intravenous Catheter–Associated
Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia" by Micah Blauw (CHIP 2017)
"Laxative use and testing for Clostridium difficile in hospitalized adults: An opportunity
to improve diagnostic stewardship." by Kayla Carter (CHIP 2017)
"Many [job] interviewers I talked with were very impressed with the [CHIP] internship
experience. The CHIP program has been a huge help for me!" Luke Draper (CHIP 2018)
CHIP interns get a personalized tour of the Rotoclaves® in a healthcare facility!
See the process in their pictures below. The Rotoclave® is a "rotating autoclave"
system that utilizes steam and rotation to sterilize waste materials before they go
on to the dump. (See the Rotoclave website for details.)
2023 Intern Experiences
- "I was impressed by the wide knowledge of all the IPs since they have to be able to
think from clinical and quality perspectives, and they need to communicate with individuals
who work in both areas too. The department works on a huge range of projects throughout
the hospital, and it was interesting to learn how infection prevention contributes
to unexpected areas and considers the needs of diverse populations." ~ Danielle DeCesaris
(Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "I learned a lot about the pros and cons of working as an infection preventionist
in a big hospital." ~ Ivy Earl (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "I couldn't have asked for better supervisors. My supervisors worked with me to find
projects that fit my interests and frequently checked-in with me to ensure I was getting
the most out of my internship… The best part of my internship was creating a tangible
product that will hopefully improve health outcomes on campus!" ~ Jamie Fry (Masters
of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "It was really satisfying coming to work and seeing the things I had learned about
in class in action. I feel like I got a really good understanding of what a career
in infection prevention research could look like" ~ Alison Naif (Masters of Public
Health, Epidemiology in 2024) (photo credit Jamie Fry)
- "Through hands-on engagement, I developed proficiency in various microbiological techniques
and coding analysis. In addition to technical skills, I cultivated effective teamwork
and communication abilities by engaging in weekly meetings with doctors and lab colleagues…"
~ Mahdi Saab (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "The best part of my internship was helping during site visits … The long term care
visits were also great! I gained a greater understanding of how important infection
prevention is in long term care. I loved learning about the variety of work…" ~ Marissa
Olson (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "It has been great learning from and working with all of the IPs. Many of them also
went through the CHIP program at Umich SPH, so it was beneficial to hear about their
career paths. " ~ Rebecca Rush (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2023)
2023 Intern Posters
- "Evaluation of Hand Hygiene and Personal Protective Equipment Compliance at Trinity
Health Hospital" by Anna Stark (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "Descriptive analysis of adult inpatient carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infections and retrospective outbreak investigation" by Danielle DeCesaris (Masters
of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "Assessment of C. difficile infection (CDI) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)
reporting definition change from Hospital-Onset CDI (LabID) to Hospital-Onset, antibiotic
treated CDI (HT-CDI)" by Ivy Earl (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- POSTER WINNER "Sexually Transmitted Infections: Testing, Prevention, and Treatment
Resources for University of Michigan Ann Arbor Students" by Jamie Fry (Masters of
Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "Epidemiology of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecalis and faeciumin VA Community
Living Centers" by Alison Naif (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "Education Materials to Aid in the Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract
Infections in Long-Term and Acute Care Settings in Michigan" by Marissa Olson (Masters
of Public Health, Epidemiology in 2024)
- "Addressing Hospital-Acquired C. diff Infections at Henry Ford Hospital: Implementation
and Analysis of Daily Stool Reports" by Rebecca Rush (Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology
in 2023)
- "Assessing Predictors of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO) colonization in Nursing
Homes with a focus on Diabetes Mellitus" by Mahdi Saab (Masters of Public Health,
Epidemiology in 2024)
2022 Intern Experiences
- "Infection prevention and control has many moving parts and witnessing the role each
department plays in a cohesive, organized and strategical response to infectious diseases
and outbreaks firsthand has been an invaluable experience, and has made me a better
(future) infection preventionist." ~ Amanda Hagedorn (Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology)
- "The best part of my internship was when I got to shadow the infection preventionists
and see exactly what they did on a daily basis" ~ Emily Hawker (Hospital and Molecular
Epidemiology)
- "From the two infection preventionists who supervised me, to the accreditation and
quality teams, to the safety team, everyone I worked with this summer was kind, welcoming,
good at their jobs, and willing to help me learn." ~ Grace Joachim (General Epidemiology)
- "I especially enjoyed getting to learn about the clinical side of IP and attending
rounds with infectious disease doctors and seeing how on the non-clinical side it's
important to have some understanding of this work." ~ Jordan Mick (General Epidemiology)
- "[They] treated me as though I was a colleague and were always willing to teach me
about what the role entails. I felt like I was an infection preventionist each day
instead of an intern." ~ Matthew Bucala (General Epidemiology)
- "I worked with several physicians and nurse practitioners over the course of my internship,
which reignited an interest in pursuing medicine. So, I plan on applying to medical
school after graduation." ~ Nicholas Pryor (General Epidemiology)
- "I gained a better idea of what academia looks like in a public health setting. I
also gained an understanding of how academia can support actual public health practice."
~ Trenton Behunin (Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology)
2022 Intern Posters
- "Clinical Outcomes of Female External Urine Wicking Devices: A Systematic Review &
Meta-Analysis" by Nicholas Pryor
- "C. difficile Testing Stewardship: To check the stool or not to check the stool? That
is the question." by Stephen Vear
- "Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Isolates Recovered in Post-acute Care Screening of Patients and Environmental Surfaces"
by Morgan Harris
- "Does It Matter Who Performs Blood Culture Collection? An Evaluation Of Blood Culture
Contamination In The Adult Intensive Care Units At Ascension St. John Hospital" by
Matthew Bucala
- "Retrospective Epidemiologic Analysis of an Increase in Staphylococcus aureus Respiratory
Cultures Among Medical Intensive Care Patients" by Emily Hawker
2021 Intern Experiences
- One of the best parts of my internship was the experience of traveling to Henry Ford
Health System sites and gaining insight into healthcare operations at outpatient settings.
An additional highlight... the opportunity to not only present my findings to a wide
range of Henry Ford Health System staff but also to converse with them regarding the
implications of my findings and how they could be utilized in informing healthcare
operations of the health system going forward. Another great aspect on this note
was my inclusion and participation in team meetings with Henry Ford Health System
staff relating to quality and infection control operations. ... there was no part
of my internship that I consider negative as each aspect of the internship brought
a great deal of value and enhanced my knowledge of healthcare practices and ultimate
insight into how public health work manifests in infection prevention and control
measures.
~Matthew Arnold (Master of Public Health Epidemiology 2021)
- I think this experience has increased my passion for infection prevention. I find
myself being drawn to the field more and more every day. I have a deeper appreciation
on the integral role infection prevention plays in maintaining a safe environment
for both patients and staff. I find myself more confident to transition from an academic
role to fieldwork role in infection prevention. ~Amber Conley (Hospital and Molecular
Epidemiology 2022)
- This was a wonderful and meaningful experience that positively augmented my professional
career and deeply built upon my academic training thus far. The best part was the
exposure I had to so many aspects of infection prevention in a healthcare setting,
both directly and indirectly related. This was essential to a well-rounded educational
experience that I do not believe I could have received anywhere else. ~Arya Daniels
(Master of Public Health Epidemiology 2022)
- Most importantly, I learned what it is like to be an IP on a day-to-day basis. I learned
how to go with the flow when the schedule changes abruptly, how to communicate my
findings from literature searches with my team, and how to navigate an electronic
medical record and identify the critical, pertinent information from a chart. ~Sydney
Fine (Global Health Epidemiology 2022)
- The best part of my internship was that I got a real feel for what it’s like to be
an IP and how everyone works together to minimize infections within the hospital.
~Haley Gurney (Master of Public Health Epidemiology 2022)
- I was able to utilize my team’s expertise to learn more about the field and answer
any questions that I had during my time at the hospital. I really enjoyed observing
and being an active part of the infection control team! ~Antonio Mercatante (Global
Health Epidemiology 2022)
- Leading CHIP interns through some laboratory techniques as well as a high school student
was a new experience that pushed me to grow into a mentoring role more than I ever
have before. ~Madison Nightingale (Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology 2022)
- The best part of my internship was seeing how infection prevention and quality worked
together with clinical staff to maintain patient safety. I’ve always seen things
from the clinical side of things, so to gain a completely different perspective was
great! It makes me have more appreciation for those on both sides as well as a better
understanding of how the hospital operates as a whole. Seeing how infection prevention
operates during a pandemic was amazing as well. That is not an opportunity that comes
up often. I didn’t know initially entering the internship if this was something I
was interested in. I was surprised to find that I loved it! ~Sarah Olechowski (Hospital
and Molecular Epidemiology 2022)
- I gained an understanding of the terminology and metrics that Infection Preventionists
use. I also got to observe the IPs to learn about their job requirements and how to
interact with other departments and staff. The best part of the internship was getting
some hands-on experience in the field of Infection Prevention and learning from the
IPs directly. ~Gretchen Zimmerman (Master of Public Health Epidemiology 2022)
- Leading CHIP interns through some laboratory techniques as well as a high school student
was a new experience that pushed me to grow into a mentoring role more than I ever
have before. ~Madison Nightingale (Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology 2022)
2021 Intern Posters
- "Black Light Audit of Ambulatory Healthcare Settings to Assess Environmental cleaning"
by Matthew Arnold
- "Contaminated Supply Loss in Clean Supply rooms: Assessment of 36 Units at Henry Ford
Hospital in Detroit, MI" by Amber Conley
- "Implementing and Assessing the Effectiveness of a Nasal Antiseptic to Address Central
Line-associated Bloodstream Infections in a Medium-sized Hospital in Wyandotte, Michigan"
by Arya Daniels
- "SARS-CoV-2 Breakthrough Infections among Hospitalized Patients in Southeastern Michigan"
by Sydney Fine
- "Epidemiologic Evaluation of Hospital-onset Bloodstream Infections in Comparison to
Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections at an Acute, Tertiary Care Hospital
in Ann Arbor, Michigan" by Haley Gurney
- "Improving Glucometer Usage by Clinical Staff in Hospitals through Surveillance and
Education in Michigan" by Antonio Mercatante one of 6 winners at the 2021 Epidemiology
Digital Poster Session
- "Improving Hand Hygiene Compliance at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital" by Sarah Olechowski
- "Risk Factors for Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA Shedding in an ICU Cohort" by Gretchen
Zimmerman
2020 Intern Experiences
- The best part of my internship was being able to gain more insight into designing
and carrying out my own research project. -Alexandra Krzyske
- The most important skill that I learned during this internship was communicating with
the members of the team. Another very important skill that I gained during this internship
is how to effectively use and collect data that later can be used for research. I’ve
had the chance to apply all those different analysis methods that I’ve learned during
the first year of the school and practice those codings using SAS. I very much appreciate
my supervisor for giving me the chance to be able to freely explore the data and try
different things using statistical software. -Ou Suk (Andrew) Kwon
- Some skills I gained during this internship were first, how to submit an IRB application
and everything that entails... I believe my research skills have developed a lot
with this internship. -Chaney Manarin
- One of the best experiences I have had in the MPH program so far. I really enjoyed
the immersive experience that the CHIP internship provided into the field of infection
prevention. It gave me the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of what it
means to be an infection preventionist and provided me with valuable hands-on experience
assisting with HAI surveillance. -Riley Moore
- As part of this internship, I learned how to draft/write a research protocol and how
to fill out/complete an IRB application. I also learned how to query DataDirect and
gained familiarity working with ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. -Blair Whittington
2020 Intern Posters
- Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antimicrobial Resistance in ESKAPE Pathogens Among
Michigan Medicine Inpatients by Chaney Manarin
- The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare-Associated Clostridioides Difficile
Infection Among Adult Inpatients at Michigan Medicine by Blair Whittington
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cather Associated Urinary Tract Infections Among
Patients at Michigan Medicine by Alexandra Krzyske
- The association between Facility characteristics and severity of Covid-19 Infection
among Nursing Home residents in the state of Michigan by Ou Suk Kwon
- Investigating the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on personal protective equipment
(PPE) use amongst healthcare workers
by Riley Moore
2019 Intern Experiences
- "I had autonomy and was supported by the entire team during my internship. Every
Infection Preventionist took time out to speak with me, guide me, and perform responsibilities
alongside me." Cassandra Scarfone, MPH (2020)
- "The best part of my internship was working with the wonderful staff in IPE and learning
about a wide variety of topics, from construction to ebola to leeches. I enjoyed
seeing the breadth of responsibilities IPs have and learning about how they tackle
infection control challenges that arise in a hospital environment." Jennifer McLenon,
MPH (2020)
- "Being part of the investigation process of a potential outbreak on a unit was probably
the highlight of my internship."Jessica Hernandez-Holzman, MPH (2020)
- "This application-heavy internship equipped me with the skills necessary to succeed
as a translational clinical epidemiologist." Kyle Gontjes, MPH (2020)
- "I was able to take what I learned in the classroom and apply it to a real-world hands-on
clinical setting." Mara Cranis, MPH (2020)
- "During this internship, I made valuable contacts in infection prevention." Meghan
Linder, MPH (2020)
2019 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- "Investigation of a Putative Outbreak of *Haemophilus influenzae *on a Neuro Intensive
Care Unit" by Jessica Hernandez-Holzman
- "Ultrasound Transducer Low Level Disinfection Practices in Inpatient Setting: Practice
Evaluation and Standardization" by Cassandra Scarfone
- "Equipment Cleaning Compliance on Units with High vs. Low Burden of *C. difficile
*Infections" by Jennifer McLenon
- "Contamination of Common Area and Rehabilitation Gym Environment with Multidrug-Resistant
Organisms" by Kyle Gontjes
- "Impact of Roommate Status on MDRO Colonization and Contamination in Skilled Nursing
Facilities" by Meghan Linder
- "Evaluation of Infectious Diseases Consultation for Management of Patients with *Clostridioides
difficile* Infection" by Mara Cranis
2018 Intern Experiences
- "The best part of my internship was being able to take part in daily infection prevention
tasks and eventually being able to do some of them on my own. I am also very thankful
to have worked with such an excellent, knowledgeable team." Alex Wells, Hospital
& Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2019)
- "This experience is truly invaluable for a budding infection prevention candidate."
Gladys Martinez, General Epidemiology MPH (2019)
- "Being able to devise a project which ultimately led to a process change which will
improve patient safety was extremely rewarding." Cameron Griffin, Hospital & Molecular
Epidemiology MPH (2019)
- "I gained microbiology skills such as streaking out cultures to isolate colonies and
performing biochemical tests... Additionally, I now feel more comfortable working
with large, uncleaned datasets." Clare Shanahan, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology
MPH (2019)
- "Being able to contribute to the protocols of the hospital, and make a change that
improves the health and safety of patients" Luke Draper, General Epidemiology MPH
(2019)
2018 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Identifying Residual Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms Associated with Environmental
High Touch Surfaces by Gladys Martinez
- Designing and Implementing a Patient Hand Hygiene Program at Henry Ford Wyandotte
Hospital by Jason Weaver
- Multidrug-Resistant Organism Colonization of Patient Body Sites in Nursing/Post-Acute
Care Facilities: Impact of Indwelling Device Use by Clare Shanahan
- Intervention to Improve Urine Testing Prior to Orthopedic and Spine Surgery by Luke
Draper
- Poster by Griffin Cameron
- Interplay between System Level and Local Level Infection Prevention: Response to Product
Recalls due to Potential Serratia marcescens Contamination by Alex Wells
- The Hidden Truth in the Faucets: A Quality Improvement Project and Splash Study of
Hospital Sinks by Harry Zhen
2017 Intern Experiences
- The best part of my internship was: "Gaining value experience at the State level to
compare to other, more research-oriented jobs." Brad Petrowitz, Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- The best part of my internship was: "Experiencing what it is like to be in Infection
Prevention behind the scenes, and getting to know everyone in the department." Liam
Hicks, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- "The CHIP internship was a great learning experience for me as it showed me the entirety
of an observational study outside the classroom, from enrolling study participants
to analyzing the dataset." Isaac Kim, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- "Learning what it really is like to be an IP. Without this internship I don't think
I would really have an understanding of what being an IP means related to the work
that is done on a daily basis." Mica Blauw, Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- "Having the ability to witness the work of an Infection Preventionist first-hand.
Whether this was through attending meetings or helping out with work in the office,
it was an experience that I feel prepared me adequately for future work in the field."
Michael Osterman, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- "Being able to work directly with the IPs on everyday infection prevention activities
as well as being able to shadow in other departments through the hospital. This really
supplemented my understanding of how the infection prevention department really functions
throughout the hospital, on top of what I'd learned in the hospital epidemiology course."
Kayla Carter, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2018)
- I was a part of patient enrollment, sampling, microbiology testing, and data analysis.
Often when working with a dataset in a biostatistics or epidemiology course, I feel
removed from the data. Being fully immersed in our group's research gave meaning to
the data we were analyzing." Brett Slajus, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2018)
2017 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
Michael Osterman (winner)
Amanda Thorne
Bradley Petrowitz
Liam J. Hicks
Mica Blauw
Kayla Carter
Brett Slaus
2016 Intern Experiences
- "The best part of the internship was seeing how varied and expansive the work of Infection
Prevention was. It was eye opening to see how much they did across so many hospital
units and sites, interacting with government agencies, involvement in construction
projects, and more." John Dou, General Epidemiology MPH (2017)
- "I also loved the breadth of projects I was able to help on. From NHSN surveillance
to ICAR visits, I was able to view HAI public health from the state level and from
the IP level. I feel like I had multiple experiences and internships in one summer.”
Kirtana Ramadugu, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2017)
- "The best part of my internship was being able to round on the different patient floors
and actually get to talk to the patients and medical staff.” Madhuri Natarajan (2017)
- "The best part of my internship was being able to really understand how valuable an
infection prevention department is to a large hospital system. The type of projects,
meetings, and partnerships were so variable and important and I really enjoyed having
the opportunity to experience each facet of infection prevention.” Maria Konja, Hospital
& Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2017)
- "The best part of my internship was being able to go into the field to meet the nursing
home staff and talk to them about the study.” Savannah Hatt, General Epidemiology
MPH (2017)
- "I have learned a lot about how the state health department monitors the trends of
communicable diseases, and how to coordinates with local jurisdictional health departments
and the public.” Wenwen Jiang, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2017)
2016 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Surveillance and Preven.on of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Infec.ons
in Michigan Healthcare SeAngs, 2012-2016
- Michigan Communicable Disease Outbreak Surveillance and Investigation Regional Epidemiology
Unit (REU), Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Wenwen Jiang , Tiffany Henderson
- Patterns of Hand Hygiene Compliance and Antibiotic Resistant Organisms in Nursing
Homes
Savannah Hatt, Kristen Gibson, Marco Cassone, Bonnie Lansing, Julia Mantey, Sara McNamara,
Lona Mody
- Assessing Patient Hand Hygiene Compliance and Intervention Effectiveness at Beaumont
Hospital in Dearborn, MI
Madhuri Natarajan, Priscila Bercea, Martin Levesque
- Assessment of Infection-Related Ventilator-Associated Complications and Possible Ventilator-Associated
Pneumonia in the University of Michigan Health System
John Dou, Amanda Valyko, MPH, CIC2 , Carl Haas, MLS, RRT2 , Emily Shuman, MD2
- Determining the Contributing Factors to Hand Hygiene Non-Compliance
Maria Konja, Jill Cone-Holden, RN, Jennifer Sweeney, MPH, Amanda Valyko, MPH, Jessica
Williams, MPH, Lisa Sturm, MPH
2015 Intern Experiences
- "The best part of my internship was... networking and establishing connections with
my coworkers at MDHHS. My coworkers were remarkable people and I am fortunate to have
worked with them." Allison Chan, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2016)
- The best part of my internship was visiting the nursing homes to enroll and culture
study participants. I really enjoyed interacting with the NH staff while collecting
hand swabs, and talking with the residents while I collected cultures in their rooms.
The combination of hands-on work, face-to-face interaction, and behind the scenes
experience in data collection allowed me to discover a passion for working with older
patients in a clinical setting. Lizzie Tuma, Epidemiology MPH (2016)
- The CHIP internship was a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with a variety of healthcare
professionals throughout the hospital system. I enjoyed learning from experts in IP
as well as many other departments, and appreciated the opportunities to participate
in Infection Prevention discussions and activities and directly apply my knowledge
to real world situations. Courtney Dewart, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2016)
- "Working with the staff in the UMHS Infection Prevention department was by far the
best part of my internship. Everyone was so approachable and willing to help with
any questions I had and invite me to meetings they thought I might find interesting.
I wouldn’t have learned anywhere near the amount I did without these wonderful individuals."
Aaron Vanderboegh, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2016)
- "The wonderful people of the SHARP Unit (aka SHARPies) were definitely the best part
of my internship. I learned so much from them, and they have certainly had a positive
impact on my future plans and career goals." Katrina Espiritu, General Epidemiology
MPH (2016)
- "After my internship, I can confidently say that I’ll pursue a career in this field.
I’m extremely grateful that I was able to work with experts in infection control and
gained an understanding of what qualities make a successful hospital epidemiologist."
Jennifer LeRose, Epidemiology (2016)
- "The best part of my internship was getting to interact with so many different members
in the hospital. My projects required me to work closely with leaders from epidemiology,
quality control, central surveillance, nursing, and physician staff, as well as with
many types of students. Infection prevention must be a collaborative effort in order
to be successful, and I was able to be a part of that collaboration in an exciting
and real way at the Detroit Medical Center." Anne Messer, Epidemiology (2016
2015 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Assessment of Improvement in Hospital Room Cleaning Using Consistent Data Feedback
Anne Messer, Jennifer LeRose, Emily Maran, PhD, Betsy Foxman, PhD, Keith Kaye, MD
MPH
- Trends in multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a Detroit teaching hospital
from 2014-2015
Jennifer LeRose, Anne Messer, Kristin Sims, MPH, Samyah Mogalli, MHCA, Sorabh Dhar,
MD, Keith Kaye, MD, MPH
- Michigan State-Wide Healthcare-Associated InfecCon Surveillance Michigan Department
of Health and Human Services, SHARP Unit
Allison Chan, Allison Gibson Murad, MPH, Dr. Jennie Finks, DVM, MVPH
- Michigan Healthcare Facility Inventory Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Katrina Espiritu; Noreen Mollon, MS; Jennie Finks, DVM, MVPH
- 2015 CHIP Intern Courtney Dewart presents her internship experience at the 2016 Society
for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) National Meetings (PDF).
2014 Intern Experiences
- "It was incredibly interesting to see the variety of work they (infection preventionists)
do on a daily basis and participants in and learn about all of it. It was also really
gratifying to see an intervention I helped come up with be implemented…" Marten Hawkins,
Epidemiology MPH (2015)
- "The opportunity to shadow Infection Preventionists as well as Infectious Disease
Physicians on rounds was particularly valuable, this intern experience gave me lots
of opportunities to learn new things that I have never done before, like do device
rounding, participate in the writing of a research article and give presentation in
front of a group of people." Lei Yu, Biostatistics MS (2015)
- "I gained skills in analyzing and organizing large datasets, as well as knowledge
in clinical research study design." Jordan Bosco, Epidemiology MPH (2015)
- "I think the tour held in each interning place is great part of this program. It lets
us not only focus on our own project but also get a picture of what other interns
do. It makes all interns together even though we work in different places and have
independent projects." Yuan Xin, Epidemiology MPH (2015)
- "I think following with doctor to round the inpatients during the first 2 weeks of
my internship is most interesting and unforgettable experience. It makes me feel like
I am in TV series Grey’s Anatomy." Yuan Xin, Epidemiology MPH (2015)
2014 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Surveillance of Foley Catheter Compliance and Urometer Maintenance in Intensive Care
Units by Lei Yu and Paul Lin
- A Comprehensive Review of the Risk Factors Surrounding Central Line Associated Bloodstream
Infections by Jordan Bosco
- Evaluation of Hand Carriage of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms among Nursing Home Residents
by Jie Cao
- Symptomology among patients testing positive for Hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile
by Marten R Hawkins
- Identifying Characteristics of Healthcare-associated EnterococcusBacteremia Patients
in Henry Ford Hospital by Yuan Xin
- Michigan Healthcare Associated Infections Reports by Xiaotong Liu
2013 Intern Experiences
- "I gained a much deeper understand of how an infection control department is organized
and ran effectively. I also gained more experience manipulating data in excel as that
was the preferred means of data analysis at the DMC. Additionally, I gained experience
operating Theradoc and EMR to pull relevant patient information, so as to gain a better
understanding of what is specifically happening in a patient. As a part of the C.
difficile project I worked on briefly, I also learned how to write comprehensive policy
changes so all healthcare providers can easily understand them." Jacob Bundy, Hospital
and Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2014)
- "I got a lot out of this professionally. The opportunity to analyze real world data
in an effort to improve healthcare was particularly valuable. I also enjoyed collaborating
with professionals from multiple health related disciplines, i.e. hospital administrators,
statisticians, doctors, nurses, etc. I gained great insight into what sort of work
I'll gravitate toward in the future." Jessica Lehrich, Biostatistics MS (2014)
- "I learned a lot from this internship. The biggest skill that I have gained was the
method of surveillance. I learned how to conduct surveillance on surgical site infections,
CAUTI, and CLABSI. By doing the surveillance, a rate of each of these infections can
be created and shared with clinicians. Surveillance is the foundation of everything
in infection control." Sree Ponnaluri, General Epidemiology MPH (2014)
- "As part of the internship experience I got to shadow different IPs at DMC-affiliated
hospitals including: Harper University Hospital, Detroit Receiving Hospital, the Rehabilitation
Institute, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Sinai Grace Hospital, and Huron Valley
Sinai Hospital as well as shadow infectious disease physicians on rounds, and shadow
with an infectious disease pharmacist. These were very educating experiences because
I was able to learn about infection control in these different facilities. Each hospital
has its own unique patient population so each hospital must approach their infection
control initiatives differently while still abiding by corporate policies. I also
witnessed how interdisciplinary infection control must be in order to be effective."
Carolyn Dombecki, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (2014)
- "Getting to 'play with' such an immense amount of data was another great part of my
internship. I learned a great deal about analysis; that is, how to look at data and
use them in the most beneficial and logical way, such that results may be easily interpreted
by epidemiologists and lay people alike. While my first year of Public Health courses
cultivated my ability to design studies and identify significance within findings,
this internship allowed me to apply said knowledge towards real-world data—something
that a class cannot do nearly as well as first-hand experience." Kristin Gibson, Hospital
& Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2014)
- "My project is focused around characterizing the colonization of Acinetobacter baumannii,
including both risk factors and the nature of co-colonization with other organisms.
This project has involved selecting the organism of study, literature review to determine
where a gap of information might be, formulating a hypothesis, specific aims, cleaning
of the data in SAS, manually coding binary variables, and production of tables relating
to the specific aims. I really enjoyed myself and did a lot of what I would consider
"real-world" work. Very rewarding." Amanda Horcher, Epidemiology MPH (2014)
- "For me, the best part of my internship was shadowing the infection control practitioners
on their rounds and meetings. Seeing what each practitioner has to deal with on an
average day is a great learning tool and I learned a ton just listening to the kinds
of dilemmas and problems faced by the infection control department." Marisa Pinchas,
Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology MPH (2014)
2013 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Understanding the Risk Factors Associated with the Acquisition of a Carbapenem-Resistant
Enterobacteriaceae Infection at UMHS by Sreelatha Ponnaluri
- Characterizing the Burden of Multi-Hospital Clostridium difficileInfections at the
Detroit Medical Center by Carolyn Dombecki
- Characterization of Acinetobacterbaumanniicolonization of high-risk patients in skilled
nursing facilities by Amanda Horcher
- Evaluation of the impact of brand-specific vancomycin-inducednephrotoxicity at the
Detroit Medical Center by Jacob Bundy
- "Optimizing Placement and Care Resources for
Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficileInfection" by Jessica Lehrich
- How Well do Healthcare Workers Adhere to Evidence-Based Guidelines for Indwelling
Urinary Catheter Use? A Record Review Study by Marisa Pinchas
2012 Intern Experiences
- “Because of touring hospitals and working alongside leaders in the field, I better
understand the life of professionals in infection control. With that knowledge (and
what I have and hope to learn at SPH), I am excited to join the field after graduation.
Plus, I now have references and networking connections to help me find employment!”
Anya Abashian, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology (2013)
- “I am continuing to work with IC&E this upcoming year, and have additionally been
offered a position for a few hours a week with Risk Management; the internship provided
tremendous opportunities for me to expand my skill set as I look forward to job applications
next winter.” Brigette Bucholz, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology (2013)
- “Skills gained included promoting my speaking skills, as I was permitted to lead the
TIP in-services on several occasions, and I also attended every single in-service
that was done this summer (25 total). I definitely gained a better understanding of
different requirements of a long term care facility and the infection prevention and
control policies of each nursing home.” Katherine Hamaoui, Health Behavior & Health
Education
- “The best part was being part of a team that is doing really interesting research,
and being able to participate in the field research as opposed to just being in the
office all day. Also, my colleagues were very welcoming and helpful, and made us feel
like a part of the team from day one.” Claire Hannemann, Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology
(2013)
- “The tour is fanastic” Yumeng Li, Biostatistics MS (2013)
- “I personally enjoyed being in charge of the reportable diseases reporting. All of
the employees hated doing it but I found it to be very interesting based on my education
at the UMSPH. I was usually the first to know about a pertussis case in the hospital
(besides the physicians, of course) and it felt good to be able to report it to the
infection preventionists so they could begin an exposure workup. It also gave me an
idea of the burden of communicable diseases in the county.” Eoghan McGreevy, Hospital
& Molecular Epidemiology (2013)
2012 Intern Posters
Click on any image below to view/download a PDF version of the poster
- Evaluating Compliance and Documentation of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Bundle
Prevention Elements at the University of Michigan Health System by Brigette Bucholz
2011 Intern Experiences
- “The ease of the research group with teaching the intern and including the intern
in the work.” Evelyn Koo, MPH Epidemiology 2012
- “I felt that my opinion mattered and because of my clinical background, I was often
asked my opinion about the clinical aspect of some infection control practices.” Anthony
Spearman, MHSA Health Management & Policy