Health Disaster Preparedness InternAt — Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA)

THE HEALTH CARE AGENCY
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional provider, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through coordination of public and private sector resources.

Specialized Medical Services is comprised of multiple divisions that provide oversight of care and delivery of care to some of the most vulnerable pediatric and adult populations in Orange County. These include California Children’s Services, Office of the Public Guardian, Emergency Medical Services and Health Disaster Preparedness. In addition, the Employee Health Services division provides oversight of the occupational health of the County of Orange’s 18,000 employees.

We are committed to serving both the Orange County community and County of Orange employees with a consistent focus on quality of services provided and steadfast dedication on achieving and maintaining the highest standard of care in each specialized area.

THE OPPORTUNITY
The Orange County Health Care Agency, Health Disaster Preparedness team, is seeking motivated and dedicated individuals to support our planning and research initiatives. This internship/volunteer opportunity offers invaluable experience in emergency management and public health.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct in-depth research on various topics related to but not limited to health disaster preparedness.
• Assist in the development and implementation of emergency preparedness exercises.
• Support the management and utilization of emergency preparedness technology.
• Prepare documents, reports, and grant workplans as assigned.
• Organize and maintain electronic files and databases.
• Create forms and spreadsheets to support team operations.
• Assist staff with various administrative tasks.
• Participate in disaster exercises and drills.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Currently enrolled in an accredited college or university majoring in Public Health, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Management, Emergency Management, Computer Science, Public Safety, Political Science, Public Administration, Law, Fire Science, Public Affairs, Communications, Public Relations, Public Policy, or a related field. Recent graduates are also eligible to apply.   
• Strong reading, writing, and research skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Some knowledge of grants is desirable but not required.
• Interest in emergency management and public health.

TRAINING

As a part of this internship, students will complete.

1. General Training (Mandatory)
2. Completion of Introduction to the Incident Command System (FEMA IS 100)
3. Completion of An Introduction to the National Incident Management System (FEMA IS 700)
4. Completion of the Standardized Emergency Management System Introduction online course (SEMS G606)
5. Routine check in meetings with mentor
6. Other training as available by the department

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the of the internship, the student will be able to:

• Understand the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and its relation to emergency management.
• Conduct comprehensive research on health disaster preparedness and related topics, synthesizing findings into actionable insights.
• Prepare clear, accurate, and well-structured documents, reports, and grant workplans in compliance with organizational standards.