Alzheimer's Association Reflection

Reflection Paper #1
I am doing my internship with the Alzheimer's Association. The main goals of my internship are to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease (or AD) among African Americans in New York City, and to recruit them for research. I am endeavoring to achieve these goals by speaking with members of the African American community (in New York City) at health fairs, Churches, and at walks advocating the reduction of Alzheimer's disease. Currently, I am giving them pertinent literature which explains the detrimental impact of Alzheimer's disease, and instructs them to use the services offered by the Alzheimer's association, particularly the Alzheimer's Association trial match, which helps in recruiting participants for

future Alzheimer's disease research. I reckon it quite appropriate to critically assess the appropriateness of my internship with respect to the material learned in the second class of this course--namely, the core functions of public health.
The article (Ford, Duncan, & Ginter, 2005) ascertaining state agencies that had ascribed to a public health framework which accentuated assurance, assessment, and policy development, resulting in subsequent enhancement in the health related endeavors of their population, is quite relevant to my internship with the Alzheimer's association. Some facets of the core functions of public health mentioned therein (such as aspects of assessment, policy development, and assurance) are pertinent to my internship (which are its strengths), while others are not (are the weaknesses of my internship).
For example, the Alzheimer's Association is continuously updating its statistics about the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the US, and the New York City chapter is investigating the hazards of Alzheimer's disease with respect to the African American community.

In addition, at my internship, I and my supervisor (Ms. Paula Rice) are enlightening, and building awareness about the detrimental impacts of Alzheimer's disease among the African American community by giving them applicable literature, and by asking them to participate in Alzheimer's disease research (via the Alzheimer's Association Trial Match). Our organization is also utilizing its support groups to facilitate those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. However, the Alzheimer's Association is not focusing on formulating policies and plans to strengthen individual and community health (with respect to Alzheimer's disease). It is because the Alzheimer's Association is a nonprofit organization. However, I think that the lack of policy development is a challenge that the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is currently facing. It would facilitate the organization greatly if its aims and methodology were reviewed and advocated by policy makers in the government. If this challenge is overcome, then, numerous other challenges that the organization is facing can also be addressed such as having more programs which facilitate people with Alzheimer's disease, including more research

regarding the disease, and having a competent workforce with respect to Alzheimer's disease.
The article (Levi, Juliano, & Richardson, 2007) dealing with how the government and states are financing the field of Public Health is not relevant to my internship.

It is because the Alzheimer's Association is a nonprofit organization which gathers its funds from private donation (including funding from walks). However, the government must keep track of the organization (as already stated) so that more research, and programs (among other things mentioned previously) related to reducing the impact of Alzheimer's disease, and facilitating those suffering from the disease could be

generated.
The article (Rothstein, 2002) about rethinking the meaning of Public Health is also quite relevant to my internship. One of the challenges that the Alzheimer's Association is facing is that of the reluctance of African Americans to participate in Alzheimer's disease research studies. It is because the African American community feels victimized because of past unethical research studies conducted with their community (i.e., the Tuskegee Syphilis Study). Therefore, to reassure them that their human rights will be protected, we (I and Ms. Paula Rice) tell the African Americans (to whom we give outreach) that everything is being done for their benefit, and that they should use the services offered to them by the Alzheimer's Association to help mitigate the impact of Alzheimer's disease on their community. Furthermore, the Alzheimer's Association tries its best to serve the population of the US suffering from AD at the local and national levels (apart from playing a global role).
In addition, I agree with Rothstein that interventions in the field of Public Health must be ethically appropriate--namely, culturally pertinent, conserving people's basic human rights, impartial, and having the main aim of facilitation of the afflicted populations. Furthermore, I also agree with the concept of a narrower definition of the field of public health. That definition must incorporate ethics, the health of the population, and health measures being effective (which are continuously updated). It is because the field of Public Health has to have its unique and refined facets which effectively and lucidly distinguish it from other fields. It is also because when the field of Public Health is properly defined, then, it will help in allocating proper resources for that field, and it may also help in reducing the costs that the field faces.