Graduate Student Internship Program

2008 Catalog of Internship Opportunities

This internship has been filled.

Policy and Assessment Research Assistant

Program: Office of Family Health Services Policy and Assessment Unit
Department of Health, Richmond, VA
Skill Area: Data Analysis and Monitoring

Agency Information

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Family Health Services (OFHS) has six divisions and a Policy and Assessment Unit (PAU). The PAU provides oversight and assistance with surveillance, research and evaluation to the OFHS divisions. Currently, the PAU houses two CDC-funded surveillance projects, the Virginia Behavioral Risk Surveillance System (VABRFSS) and the Virginia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Survey (VA PRAMS).

Purpose, goals, and objectives of internship

This internship will strengthen Virginia’s understanding of the health status of women of child bearing age (18 to 44 years old). The intern will analyze VA BRFSS data (2004-2006) and provide a well written comprehensive report. Information from the report will also be used for our next Virginia Title V needs assessment and will be used by our programs to better address the health needs of this population.

Data or analytic tasks and activities

The primary data to be used for this internship is the Virginia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (VABRFSS) 2004-2006. Activities will include accessing the data in SPSS or SAS format, reviewing the Virginia BRFSS 2004-2006 codebook to become familiar with the data set variables and to work with PAU staff to identify variables of interest for analyses.

Data or analytic skills required

This internship will require the ability to work with a large dataset with a complex sampling design and the ability to use SPSS complex samples or SAS software and to perform univariate and bivariate analysis. In addition, this intern will need to be able to interpret data results and have excellent writing skills to prepare a report that will be distributed internally and externally to OFHS programs and other stakeholders.

Supervisors

Susan Kennedy Spain is the OFHS Evaluation Director and Virginia BRFSS Coordinator in the Policy and Assessment Unit within the Office of Family Health Services. Ms. Kennedy Spain has over 15 years of experience working on hundreds of research and evaluation projects as a senior research associate, data analyst and evaluation team member. Ms. Spain will serve as the primary supervisor and Dr. Janice Hicks will serve as a secondary supervisor.

Dr. Hicks has 27 years of experience in research, evaluation and policy analysis that includes approximately thirteen years in the public health field. She holds adjunct faculty appointments in the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sociology Department and the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Internship begins

May or June 2008. Dates are flexible.

Housing

Yes. Apartments are available in several locations convenient to downtown. The Greater Richmond Transit bus system is available and convenient to most residences in the City of Richmond. Bus stops are within a few blocks of the Virginia Department of Health.

Transportation

We are located on or very near several bus lines.