Force for Health Ambassadors – Why Am I a Force for Health?

I aim to be consistent and efficient in improving the educational health courses by making them more accessible to those who speak different languages.

Why I choose to be a Force for Health Ambassador

My degree has provided me with a strong foundation in both the life and physical sciences, therapeutics, and patient education and my experiences as a community pharmacist the past six years have also been very valuable. During my time as a pharmacist, however, I have realized my desire to focus more on the general health and wellness of communities and improving outcomes.

I hope to use my health care background through a more creative outlet by creating interactive and engaging educational courses. These courses will provide individuals in the community with the important facts about medications, disease management, and lifestyle changes and will hopefully result in improved adherence, compliance, and health outcomes.

I feel ensuring all citizens have internet access to educational courses and resources will improve healthy citizenship. As one member of the Healthy Huntingdon Project expressed, the knowledge citizens will gain through our courses and website will allow them to be a "force for health for themselves" in their everyday lives and perhaps reduce hospital visits and health care costs.

This semester I would like to see the Force for Health Scholar's Day become a success.

Why I chose to be a Force for Health Intern

In order to improve the health of Huntingdon County, it is imperative that the community has the resources to advocate for their own health. As the Force for Health Fellow, it has been my privilege to help lead the Force for Health program in providing the tools the community needs for increased health equity and health literacy. Through this position, I have had the opportunity to work with community organizations and health professionals to develop resources such as a comprehensive online community health directory, a basic online health academy, a community health worker program, and a service-based learning program in high schools that addresses community health concerns.

Not only has it been rewarding to see the impact of the Force for Health on the community, but the Force for Health has provided me a better understanding of the implications of the social determinants of health, allowed me to work directly with community organizations, and provided me with the tools to provide meaningful service to the community.

Ultimately, I believe that because of the experiences I've had during my Force for Health internship, I am well equipped to improve the health of underserved and disadvantaged patients as a future healthcare professional.

I felt that the Force for Health dealt with issues on health education, awareness and literacy, which are all subjects that I am passionate about pursuing in my future career.