Population Health focuses on protecting and improving the health of families and communities through promotion of healthy lifestyles to attain or maintain wellness, research for disease and injury prevention, and detection and control of infectious diseases. Dr. Briana Jeiger, Interim Population Health Chair, welcomes all students who will investigate and develop innovative solutions to health concerns from a behavioral, societal, biological, and organizational perspective.
Population Health
I'm Dr. Briana Jegier, Associate Professor and Chair of Health Administration and Population Health at Baptist Health Sciences University. I'm a health economist by training with master's degree in Health Administration. We're excited to welcome you to our program. So my PhD-- I went into Population Health, my PhD is in public health, it was a natural combination from my master's degree in Health Administration, to be able to expand my horizons. I love research. And I love that ability to work with communities, from a research perspective, to develop interventions that they were going to use-- use their own strengths, their own talents to change their communities. Population health teaches you how to do that. And it's one of the things I love about it. And it's why my doctorate is in it.
I fell in love with Population Health many years ago, as a young child. I always wanted to work where I could make an impact on the lives of marginalized people. And Population Health gave me the opportunity to do so. I would advise someone considering Population Health to take advantage of all opportunities that present itself. Be it working in a clinical environment, being it working at a local health department, even an organization like the Center for Disease Control. Whether there are paid opportunities or volunteer opportunities, I would get as much experience as possible.
My advice to those considering Population Health is that it is a field that is growing. That is very necessary. It really takes where we live, work, worship and play, and says how are we going to bring those things together to maximize people's health, their quality of life, and their joy. And I think that's important. We are living in an age where, you know, we are very interconnected. What happens with our water impacts, what happens with our schools, impacts what happens with our healthcare system. Population Health individuals are the ones that look at those connections, and then design systems and interventions to make them better.
You know, it's an interesting topic, and one that's so important in today's world. We have healthcare disparities that have to be addressed. And I think by studying it now, bringing it to the forefront-- will be critical for the future health care leaders.
Anyone can go into Population Health? Yes, absolutely. Again, you must have a love for people. You must have a love for service for community, and you'll do just fine.
Population Health is open to all students, anyone from any background. It really is the field where you get to find your area. It is the broadest lens that you can take to health in the world. And having that level of openness means you can find your place. If you're interested in art, and you want to work in healthcare, Population Health is a great place because we need someone who can deliver graphics and innovative podcasts and different things that deliver those important population health messages with that artistic flair. That really helps it to resonate with our with our population. So I think it's a it's really an open field for anyone. So since my PhD is in Population Health, I have spent a good part of my career in research in Population Health. And I think my favorite memory from my research work is I work with NICU babies and their families. Looking at different ways to optimize their care once they go home. And working with those families, seeing how innovative they can be, taking their own strengths and using them to improve their lives, their communities, their neighborhoods, and all I was there to do was bear witness. I think that that is probably my favorite part of the work that I have done in Population Health.
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