Week 3- 1/29-2/1

Daily Descriptions 

• Monday 1/29 

• Today I worked remotely and began creating an excel file for this Friday’s cook along demo. For this program, we provide ingredients and drop them off for each employee attending Friday. We sent out an email asking which ingredients each participant needs as well as where they will be working Thursday and Friday, and their contact information. I plugged all of this information into the sheet so that it will be more efficient for Kendra when she goes shopping for the ingredients this week and for when we will be dropping off the ingredients to each participant. This took roughly two hours in total. I also continued my research on blood circulation and began creating a Canva handout. I researched the historical significance of blood circulation, common conditions that may arise due to poor circulation, actions to improve blood circulation, and the importance of blood tests. This took roughly 4 hours taking notes and compiling information into chunks that are easier to understand for a lay audience. 

• Tuesday 1/30

• Today I also worked remotely and took the information I researched and compiled yesterday and rewrote it in paragraph form to include on the Canva handout. Writing and creating the Canva handout took 4.5 hours to complete as it was a tedious task. I also kept updating the excel file with participants' contact information and needed ingredients. I ensured that the January nutrition-survey check in ran smoothly and was accessible for employees and retirees on the Well portal. I also created updated Canva handouts on reducing sodium and saturated fats in the diet. All of these little tasks took me roughly 2 hours. 

• Wednesday 1/31

• Today I met Kendra at Lay Park Community Center where I attended her spin class and was able to engage with a handful of employees. We met an hour and a half before the class began to go over her feedback on my health education resource and corresponding quiz. I included information on the historical significance of the discovery of blood circulation, a brief overview of the functions and components of the circulatory system, compounds found in the blood and their functions, adverse conditions that may arise due to poor blood circulation, and ways to improve blood circulation in your everyday life. I had more feedback on this month’s handout than last, however it was very fruitful to receive and I learned valuable insights that I will utilize for future handouts. I also received feedback on the quiz and worked for about two and a half hours making these edits later in the day.  

• Thursday 2/1 

• Today I joined a meeting with our Virgin Pulse sales representative to go over ways to make the ACC Well portal more efficient for users and administrators. She emphasized how much she loved working with Kendra and Randi because they always “get a good pulse on the population,” meaning they provide an open atmosphere for employees to share their opinions on the site and make corresponding changes to improve their use of the product. I was also tasked with a new project today. On February 23d, we are hosting a hearing screening for employees and retirees and I am in charge of registering participants. I created an excel file that includes their name, ACC department they work for, and appointment time slot. I have reached out and corresponded with various employees throughout this process and will likely continue until the screening date. I also finalized my Linked In post explaining the beginning of my internship, which took some time because I wanted to effectively explain the position but also because I am inexperienced with posting updates on Linked In, demonstrating the need for myself to improve in that regard.  

Weekly Summary

This week I was able to engage with more employees and see how various departments are composed and operate. I spent many hours researching and creating a health education resource handout on blood composition and circulation with an emphasis on promoting healthy behaviors to enhance ACCUG employees and retirees health and well-being. With nearly half of American adults experiencing high blood pressure, I felt as though it was important for individuals to understand the compounds found in the blood and how they impact the functioning of various systems within the body as well as overall health. I thought by tying in information about William Harvey’s discovery of blood circulation in the early 1600s and Leonardo da Vinci’s role in developing anatomy textbooks that included intricate details about the heart and blood flow would be of interest for some employees. In my opinion, I think it is interesting because it displays how far humanity has come in regard to health knowledge. I received much more feedback on my handout this week, which I appreciated because I can take this knowledge and use it for future handouts. Since beginning my internship, I have become much more savvy with Canva and can see how this is a skill that will benefit me in the long run. It was very cool to hear how the Virgin Pulse sales representative spoke so highly about working with Kendra and Randi. She values their dedication to hearing out employee complaints, as well as the positives, about the ACC Well portal, which demonstrates their unwavering support for their employees. It has been a fascinating thing to see so many employees revering Kendra, Randi, and the program. 

Responsibilities and Competencies 

• 5.1.2- Examine evidence-informed findings related to identified health issues and desired changes. 

• I met this competency by investigating various research articles that link the discovery and advancement of knowledge of the blood circulatory system to modern day cardiac health knowledge.  

• 6.2.1- Describe the intended outcome of the communication (e.g., raise awareness, advocacy, behavioral change, and risk communication).

• I met this competency by including on the first page of the handout the purpose of the health education handout, which was to increase their awareness of the importance of improving blood circulation. 

• 6.3.3- Tailor message(s) for the audience(s).

• I met this competency by editing my original health education handout to meet the needs of various populations within ACCUG, including changing my writing to effectively get the message across to different health literacy levels. 

• 1.4.4- Develop recommendations based on findings. 

• I met this competency by including specific ways to improve an individual's blood circulation based on the research I conducted. 

• 4.5.4-Translate findings into practice and interventions.

• I met this competency by including specific ideas of how individuals can get in at least 150 minutes of physical exercise each week. I did this by providing examples of different types of exercise with how many minutes they should be conducted to see the best results. 

• 6.3.2- Develop persuasive communications (e.g., storytelling and program rationale).

• I met this competency by including language that persuades readers to want to engage in healthy behaviors that can improve their blood composition and circulation, and overall health. 

• 6.1.2- Identify the assets, needs, and characteristics of the audience(s) that affect communication and message design (e.g., literacy levels, language, culture, and cognitive and perceptual abilities).

• I met this competency by tailoring my messages to a health literacy level that all employees and retirees can sufficiently understand. 

• 6.3.4- Employ media literacy skills (e.g., identifying credible sources and balancing multiple viewpoints).

• I met this competency by researching various articles and health information to gather data that would demonstrate the importance of having adequate health knowledge on blood circulation and composition 

• 6.5.3- Use facilitation skills with large and/or small groups.

• I met this competency when I met with the Virgin Pulse sales representative by engaging in conversation that facilitated her understanding on the effectiveness of the ACC Well portal. 

• 6.5.5- Deliver oral and written communication that aligns with professional standards of grammar, punctuation, and style.

• I met this competency by corresponding with various ACCUG employees to register and schedule them for the Health Screening program on February 23rd. 

Reflection 

I have truly loved this internship thus far. I have tremendous respect for Kendra and the work she does to improve so many individuals' health and overall lives. She actively listens to employees and takes their feedback to improve the effectiveness of the program. I have enjoyed getting to know more employees and understanding how various departments operate and  interact with each other. The biggest thing I learned this week was that I need to continue working on my ability to write various handouts at differing reading levels. Due to being saturated in academia, I have been writing at a level that may be too advanced for some readers.  To combat this issue, I need to reinforce the idea of writing at an 8th grade reading level so as to ensure all readers can adequately understand the information and apply it to their everyday lives. With the upcoming Hearing Screening, I am excited to use some of the insights I have gained thus far to make this a more efficient process. I have a better system of tracking employees and ensuring that they are accounted for than for some of my other projects. I am excited to “be in charge” of this component of our hearing screening day and look forward to worker further with ACCUG employees and retirees.