“Promoting Public Health” – by Suhail Khokhar

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Public health is one of the most perennial issues facing Americans.
However, the issue of public health is not is not given the attention
it deserves. Many Americans are aware of the ramifications of obesity,
smoking, air pollution, and other public health dangers. Yet, there
has not been systemic changes in the way these issues are dealt with by
the government. As a result, while many health disparities and
illnesses are decreasing, others continue to soar, most notably,
obesity.

As a public health student concentrating in health care policy and
management, I have chosen an education and career path that will equip
me with the tools necessary to properly alleviate the health care
problems facing many Americans. Currently, I am volunteering at the
Centro de Salud Esperanza, a health center that services the poor
population in Chicago’s West Side. My goal is to help write a grant
application that will enable Centro de Salud Esperanza to better service
the community.

In addition to volunteering at the Centro de Salud Esperanza, I am
interning at the Cook County Department of Public Health. My internship
entails studying and implementing ways to make Stroger Hospital more
efficient in the fields of discharge and patient flow. Like many
hospitals, Stroger is experiencing the problem of lower reimbursements
and a patient flow consisting primarily of Medicare and Medicaid
enrollments.

I hope to continue contributing to the public health of my countrymen.
I have been blessed by the abundance of opportunities the government
has provided me and I hope to continue working for the government in the
field of public health. My future goal is to work in the public health
department of a state or city, or even working for the federal
government and I believe this scholarship will help me to achieve my
dream of giving back to my county.