From Naz to the CDC: A nursing grad鈥檚 journey to public health
As the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, 91快活林最新版 alumna Hannah Kisselburgh 鈥�12 goes to work each day at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta wondering if she will get the deployment call for the coronavirus response.听
鈥淪everal of my colleagues are currently deployed for the response. Most work in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC),鈥� said Kisselburgh, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 in nursing from 91快活林最新版. 鈥淥thers have gone to airports across the country to conduct screening. I will likely be deployed to the EOC as well. It鈥檚 truly a team effort. The people at CDC who work on responses put their regular job on hold or have someone else cover while they assist with the response.鈥�
At the CDC, she is a surveillance epidemiologist on the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) team. The system captures food, water, and enteric (intestinal) disease outbreaks caused by person-to-person transmission, animal contact, environmental contamination, and unknown modes of transmission. Other federal partners, states, territories, and local health departments all report through NORS.
Originally from Oswego, N.Y., Kisselburgh worked in a Syracuse hospital for two years after graduating from 91快活林最新版, but knew a career as a hospital nurse was not the right fit for her. 鈥淭he hospital had an outbreak of norovirus my first winter working there. I was wondering who got to investigate the outbreak, determine the source, and extent of the outbreak.鈥� 听
Several months later, her mom sent her the CDC鈥檚 鈥淪olve the Outbreak鈥� phone app, which introduced her to public health as a career. 鈥淣ot only does a job exist looking at outbreaks, but the field has a name: epidemiology,鈥� said Kisselburgh. 鈥淚 knew that was the field I wanted to work in. I just never knew what it was called. I started researching what I would need to work in epidemiology and applied to schools for my master鈥檚 in public health.鈥�
She chose Emory University because it is next to the CDC main campus in Atlanta. She knew there would be internship opportunities that would hopefully lead to a job.
鈥淎fter taking a class taught by a CDC employee, I met with her to talk about potential practicum and thesis opportunities. I was able to do both in her branch, the Enteric Disease Epidemiology Branch.鈥� After her practicum, they hired her as a student worker. Upon graduating from Emory in 2016 with her MPH, she took a job at that same branch in Atlanta. While Kisselburgh admits she doesn鈥檛 enjoy or excel at networking, 鈥淚鈥檓 glad I reached out to the person who helped me get my first job in public health.鈥�
Kisselburgh is the data request manager for her NORS team at the CDC, providing a database of CDC data when requested by researchers. She is also the eastern region representative, acting as the point of contact for state officials who have questions.听
She has advice for any current or prospective students wanting to get into public health.听
- Explore different opportunities. One place or type of work may not be a good fit, but another may be.
- There are many segments within public health 鈥� clinical trials at a hospital; government at local, state, or federal levels; industry; non-profits; and health communications.
- Make sure you love what you do (or at least like it).
鈥淔inding a good fit for your life and interest is vital for your happiness. If that changes over time, that鈥檚 okay!鈥�
Contact
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer, | (585) 389-2456 | jlong2@naz.edu
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Hannah Kisselburgh 鈥�12 earned her nursing degree at 91快活林最新版, and talks about her journey to the CDC.