Speakers

Image of LEAP 2024: From Code to Care: Client Interactions and Administrative Work in Healthcare - Abstracts

LEAP 2024: From Code to Care: Client Interactions and Administrative Work in Healthcare - Abstracts

Panel 21: From Code to Care: Client Interactions and Administrative Work in Healthcare

Our internships covered a range of work involved in the healthcare sector. From data organization to mental health care, panel members got to their internships through networking and gained real-world experience in their fields. Elle worked in a public hospital’s psychology department in Shanghai, observing outpatient diagnoses and group therapy, deepening her understanding of the clinical field. Holly worked at an outpatient behavioral health organization in Washington, DC, and strengthened goal setting and time-management skills. Manasvi worked remotely for a startup medical imaging company that focused on writing code to enhance data organization for their medical imaging systems. Méabhan worked in a non-profit clinic tailored to Latine immigrant needs in Highwood, IL, honing Spanish, collaboration, and project management skills. Altogether, our experiences gave us insight into our desired fields, taught us how to meaningfully engage with communities, and utilize and apply MHC values to the world beyond college.

Moderator: Mara Breen, Professor of Psychology and Education & Co-Chair of Psychology and Education

Fenix Centro de Salud Reinventing Multicultural Healthcare
Méabhan Fogarty ’25 Biology & Spanish double major

Exploring Mental Health in a Public Hospital Psychology Department
Elle ’25 Psychology major, Film, Media & Theatre minor

Importance of Community: Lessons from a Behavioral Health Organization
Holly Wrampelmeier ’26 Psychology major, German studies minor

Amplifying Marginalized Voices: A Look Inside the Making of Public Radio and Digital Media
Manasvi Agarwal’25, Romance Language Major & Journalism, media, Public discourse nexus

Speaker name: Holly Wrampelmeier
Title: From Code to Care: Client Interactions and Administrative Work in Healthcare
I worked with an outpatient behavioral health organization in Washington, DC, working to improve the health and well-being of those who are mentally ill and economically disadvantaged – often being the most vulnerable in the community. I worked directly with clients, checking in with them when their case manager couldn’t and making sure that their needs were heard and addressed. I learned to navigate the administrative side of the mental health sector, making sure client’s information was updated and accurate. My personal project for the summer was updating their resource list, confirming that every resource listed was still active and formatting the list for easy use by future case managers.

Speaker name: Méabhan Fogarty
Title: Fenix Centro de Salud: Reinventing Multicultural Healthcare
I worked for a nonprofit community health clinic in Highwood, IL called Fenix Family Health Center. The mission of this clinic was to serve the most vulnerable patients in the local community: those without insurance, undocumented individuals, and patients who exclusively speak Spanish. I had a few different tasks as an intern at Fenix. The most common day-to-day tasks involved general administrative work such as updating patients’ files, contacting patients about appointments and other important information, and creating educational materials to hand out. Working with the other interns, I also helped plan a health fair that allowed families to complete their children’s physicals before the coming school year. Finally, my personal project involved my skills as a doula. I gave educational presentations to the clinic’s prenatal group for pregnant mothers. I covered important topics such as delayed umbilical cord clamping, exercise while pregnant, and birthing positions.

Speaker name: Elle
Title: Exploring Mental Health in a Public Hospital Psychology Department
This summer, I interned in the psychology department of a public hospital in Shanghai, where I gained hands-on experience in mental health care. My responsibilities included observing outpatient diagnoses, taking detailed notes during group therapy sessions, and conducting clinical shadowing to observe patient treatments and interactions. Additionally, I managed patient follow-up data, analyzed statistics using Epidata, and participated in weekly departmental meetings, giving me a deeper understanding of the hospital’s operations. These experiences allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to real-world clinical settings, broadening my understanding of mental health counseling. I also gained insight into the challenges faced by clinicians in China, such as high patient volumes and limited resources, which affected patient care. At LEAP, I will share the critical lessons I learned about the intersection of mental health counseling, data management, and clinical practice in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Speaker name: Holly Wrampelmeier
Title: Learning in Community: Lessons from a Behavioral Health Org
I worked with an outpatient behavioral health organization in Washington, DC, working to improve the health and well-being of those who are mentally ill and economically disadvantaged – often being the most vulnerable in the community. I worked directly with clients, checking in with them when their case manager couldn’t and making sure that their needs were heard and addressed. I learned to navigate the administrative side of the mental health sector, making sure client’s information was updated and accurate. My personal project for the summer was updating their resource list, confirming that every resource listed was still active and formatting the list for easy use by future case managers.

Speaker name: Manasvi
Title: Coding for Clarity: Improving X-ray Image Management in Medical Systems
During my internship at Veytel LLC, a medical imaging company, I developed software to efficiently organize X-ray scans and other medical images. This project allowed me to gain valuable hands-on experience with image processing and file management systems, contributing to the healthcare field by improving the organization of critical medical data. This opportunity emerged through networking with teaching assistants, which underscored the importance of building professional connections. The internship not only strengthened my technical skills but also taught me the value of collaboration and outreach in advancing my career.