Online MPH student balances work with vulnerable communities during COVID-19 and training as a public health service officer
May 7, 2020
Lieutenant Commander Jeannie Hong
After completing her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, Jeannie Hong, PharmD, NCPS, BCPS, began working as a civilian pharmacist at an Indian Health Service (IHS) hospital for the Native Americans and Alaska Natives on a reservation in Arizona. While in practice, she found that some of her colleagues were United States Public Health Service (PHS) officers who exemplified how to be a public health servant beyond their primary training, and this drove her to become a PHS officer herself.
As she learned more about the public health realm, she became attracted to the field of epidemiology and wanted to invest her time and efforts in pursuing an advanced degree in this field. Because she was already familiar with the quality of education at UNC and at the Gillings School, she enrolled in the online MPH@UNC program and is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with a concentration in leadership in practice.
While her day job involves working as a rheumatology specialty pharmacist, her role as a lieutenant commander PHS officer-pharmacist allows her access to courses and training developed by colleagues at other agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including courses on COVID-19 and emergency preparedness.
Many of Hong’s patients at the IHS hospital have autoimmune conditions such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The recent media coverage surrounding hydroxychloroquine’s potential in COVID-19 treatment has impacted its accessibility for her patients who need the medication to manage their autoimmune conditions. This has forced Hong and her colleagues to refocus care strategies in the face of drug shortages and patient anxiety in order to meet the most critical needs while helping the greatest number of patients. Much of Hong’s work has been dedicated to ensuring that her patients continue to balance the risks for COVID-19 with the benefits of their medications.
Native Americans and Alaska Natives suffer from health disparities due to various social determinants for health and multiple chronic conditions with limited access to care. The COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on many in this community – such as the Navajo Nation – has been similarly disproportionate. While Hong understands the challenges involved, she also feels grateful to have an opportunity to protect one of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S.
Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.
