Field Placement: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS) - Office of Communications
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Preceptor: Maria Iacobo
Student Name: Shirley Kwok
Year: 2004

I was accepted into the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LADHS)’ Summer Internship Program and began working at my field placement site, the Office of Communications in June 2004. My internship lasted eleven weeks during which I worked 440 hours.

I joined a staff of six, under the direction of Maria Iacobo, Director of Communications. The Communications Office handles media relations for the entire Department of Health Services, which includes Public Health. During my internship, I collaborated with the staff on projects that include preparation for press conferences, generation and implementation of public service announcements, and other publicity campaigns. In addition, I became the Managing Editor of Your Health, which is an in-house quarterly publication that provides the residents of Los Angeles County with information on current health topics. On a daily basis, I facilitated internal communication within LADHS by handling media requests and writing press releases for external communication.

During my time at the Communications Office, I also attended workshops that focused on media relations, risk communication, and basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS. As part of the Summer Internship Program, I had the opportunity to become familiarized with various DHS programs through extensive seminars and site visits. These include a site visit to the laboratory of the Environmental Health program where restaurant inspectors are trained, and orientations on the county’s various programs that included homeless and tobacco control to bioterriorism preparation and emergency management services.

LADHS serves the ten million residents of Los Angeles County. Public Health, which is composed of a myriad of health programs currently operates on a budget of $600 million and comprises more than 3,800 employees.

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