Center Alum Turns Practicum Experience into Career in Community Service and Health Equity
Ketshia Robillard graduated in 2020 with the BA in Women’s Studies and a minor in Health Disparities in Society from the Center for Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies Research. She is now working as resource technician for the Gainesville Fire Rescue Community Resource Paramedicine Program (CRP) where she continues to serve the Gainesville community and work with Center practicum and internship students.
I found the Health Disparities in Society minor my sophomore year and added the Women’s Studies major my junior year. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies on the pre-med track in 2020 and my minor in Health Disparities was the catalyst and precursor to what I do now. I currently work as a resource technician for the Gainesville Fire Rescue Community Resource Paramedicine Program (CRP). Before that, I was a student intern with the program as part of my Health Disparities in Society practicum. I never expected to fall so deep into public health and social services.
Now, I lead the Chronic Disease Management portion of the program. As part of my position, I assist people who are homeless and have low-incomes in the Gainesville community who need access to resources and help managing their chronic diseases. This means I may connect these individuals with housing, social, and mental health resources as well as with financial and food assistance programs that already exist in the Gainesville area. However, the work most definitely does not stop there.
The overall goal of the program is to reduce EMS burden by reducing non-emergency 911 calls and to improve the quality of life of our patients. To this end, CRP aims to use knowledge about social determinants of health to create more positive health outcomes for patients. We also work to bridge the gap between what happens in the clinic with a patient’s primary care physician and specialists and what happens at home. The first time I ever heard of “social determinants of health” was in my Introduction to Health Disparities course. I learned how even one determinant can affect the outcome of someone’s health or recovery. In my role, I think beyond whether or not a patient is compliant with medications and eating properly. I ask does this patient have a stable housing situation, does this patient have transportation, do they have enough food, are they safe, can they read, and many more questions to get a comprehensive understanding of their unique situation. Through listening to their answers to these questions, I also work to develop a solid relationship with them to support their own capacity for self-management, to empower them to advocate for themselves, and to continue positive behaviors after they graduate from the program and no longer need my assistance.
My time in the Women’s Studies major allowed me to understand the population I work with on a deeper level because I see the intersections of race, class, and culture and I see how systems of power shape my patients’ lived experiences. The health disparities minor allowed me to understand what patient-centric care looks like and I am fortunate enough to put that in to practice every day. The minor gave me a great opportunity and I wish to see more students gain hands-on experience with this population and grow their interest in public health and community health. To that end, I now work with Center students completing their practicum or internship with CRP and get to pay forward the learning and experience that I gained.