Internship Interview - Caroline Jones

Name: Caroline Jones

Internship Location: Tarboro, NC

Organization: Vidant Edgecombe Hospital

Responsibilities: I am assisting the Manager of Grants and Special Projects here at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital. I have assisted with the 2019 Edgecombe County Community Health Needs Assessment and picking our priorities for the next three years. The priorities we decided on are Chronic Disease Prevention/Management, Mental Health, and Health Equity. I have also assisted with the 2019-2020 Vidant Edgecombe Hospital Community Benefit Grants process I reviewed the 20 letters of intent and created a spreadsheet of the organizations, how many people they will serve, how many of those people are financially needy, and dollars requested. I will be a part of the whole process of the Community Benefit Grants and see which organizations get funding for their programs. I am also getting the opportunity to do Lunch and Learns at the E.L. Roberson Senior Center here in Tarboro at the end of January and February. I am also networking with different organizations here in the community such as; the Edgecombe County Rural Health Network, The Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office through their Coordinated Opiate Recovery Effort program, and the Edgecombe County Barbershop Partnership.

Advice to Upcoming Interns: Some advice for upcoming interns is do not wait until the last minute to apply for internships. Internships are like a full-time job you become a part of the organization you are interning for. Just remember you will not know everything, it is okay to ask for guidance because they are here to help you grow and get prepared for the real-world workforce.

About Caroline Jones: I love my dog, cat, and Mexican food. I also love spending time with my family and friends. My favorite aspect of Public Health is getting to create relationships and help reduce disparities within the community.