CHIP Internships

"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)

- "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)

- "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)

- "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)

- "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

- 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)

- "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

- 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

- 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

- "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)

- "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

- "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)

- 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

- 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)

Michael Osterman (winner)

Amanda Thorne

Bradley Petrowitz

Liam J. Hicks

Mica Blauw

Kayla Carter

Brett Slaus

- "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)

- 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

- "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

- 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).

- "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)

- 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

- "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)

- 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

- “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)

- Evaluating Compliance and Documentation of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia Bundle Prevention Elements at the University of Michigan Health System by Brigette Bucholz

- “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