Emily Sargent, a 2018 JD-MPH alumna of IUPUI, discovered emergency preparedness as a career path years ago, and has since been preparing for a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sargent is a member of the Division of Emergency Preparedness at the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH). She is responsible for managing the public health emergency preparedness and response grants that Indiana receives from the federal government to support and fund Indiana’s emergency response capabilities. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Sargent’s role on a day-to-day basis was to ensure that ISDH meets grant requirements to prepared for public health emergencies throughout the year. When the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, many of the ISDH team members supported by the grant funds were prepared to act quickly. Additional federal funding for the COVID-19 response has helped staff throughout ISDH transition into emergency roles.
Sargent encourages Fairbanks School of Public Health students, who are still looking for their niche in public health, to consider emergency preparedness. “It’s a niche area, and many individuals associate the response with epidemiologists, but we all work together,” she said. “The Division of Emergency Preparedness prepares for situations like COVID-19 all the time.”
Sargent started graduate school pursuing a career in health law, but health policy was also an area of interest for her.
“I decided to pursue my MPH alongside my JD to understand not only the policies but also the reasoning behind why we create the laws we do related to public health. But then I fell in love with public health.”
Sargent said her internship at the American Red Cross was the moment when she decided which career to pursue, as it was a pinnacle moment for her.
“It was when I knew I wanted to pursue an emergency preparedness career,” she said. “During my internship, I was deployed to West Virginia to assist with flood response. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to help individuals when they needed it most.”
Sargent encourages FSPH students to seek out public health positions related to the COVID-19 response because it is an incredible time for students to gain valuable public health skills. She also encourages the public to remain patient as Indiana reopens.
“We are all connected to each other. As individuals make decisions, it’s important to realize it’s not about the individual, it’s about how everybody affects each other and how we all have a part in somebody else’s health.”
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