Emily discusses her educational and professional background, including obtaining her BA in psychology and sociology and MPH in health promotion. She did not expect to work in quality improvement but found her passion after graduating. A typical day involves meetings, trainings, and problem solving. She enjoys being a resource to help programs improve community health. The interview provides advice to students to gain experience, be flexible, and take care of themselves.

1. Informational Interviews
with Health Professionals
Emily Vaden, MPH
Program Coordinator

2. EMILYVADEN, MPH
Program Coordinator
Yolo County Health & Human Services
Oregon State University, 2012
MPH in Health Promotion, emphasis in Child and
Adolescent Health
Western Oregon University, 2007
BA in Psychology
Minor in Sociology

3. I am a program coordinator in performance management for a Health and Human Services Agency. I spent
the last 3.5 years working to help our Community Health Branch achieve Public Health Accreditation. Now I
oversee performance management for the entire agency. I teach trainings, facilitate quality improvement
projects, and help staff determine what data they should collect that tells the story of their program and how
to communicate and share it.
Nope!Absolutely not. I started atWOU wanting to be an elementary school teacher. I had worked with kids
extensively so I started in Elementary Ed, switched to Sociology, then to Psychology and after taking Human
Sexuality, realized how much I loved health. I had an amazing professor, Shawn Sellers, point me in the
direction of public health, and I haven’t turned back since. But no, I never saw myself doing quality
improvement work. Even in grad school, I had no idea what that even meant. I stumbled upon it after getting
my first job post graduate school, but I love it.
Did you see yourself doing this while in school?
Can you explain your current position?

4. I have a lot of meetings. Most of my
work involves problem solving, so that
happens face-to-face. I also do a lot of
trainings and help facilitate group
processes, so again, lots of face time.
Some work is with internal programs,
and other times I’m working with
community partners. It’s a nice variety.
What does a typical day at
work look like?

5. I love being a problem solver and acting as a resource for others. I love public
speaking and trainings, and helping others figure out solutions. I love being
thrown into situations where I don’t know the answer. In fact, I usually don’t
start out knowing what a particular program wants or needs. But after
listening and speaking to the people involved, I’ve engaged them in a solution
and we’re on our way to improving health in the community.
I also get to be independent and autonomous in my work and I have a fairly
flexible schedule. I work with passionate people to improve the community
where I live and work, so it’s pretty awesome!
What do you enjoy most about your job?

6. One of the struggles I had in finding my first job post grad school was a lack of
relevant work experience. I went straight from my BA to grad school and
completed my master’s degree on an accelerated course to save money. I had
a baby right after grad school, so it took me about 14 months to get work
after graduation. It was tough to get that first entry-level public health
position, but once I did, other opportunities started to open up.
How did you gain relevant work experience?

7. I think because my educational trajectory was really based in research
between psychology, sociology, and then public health, it prepared me for the
job I have now. I have an eye for asking questions and looking for data and
evidence. My classes about human behavior helped prepare me to work with
and understand many of the populations served by county health and human
services, many of which are very vulnerable. My public health courses
prepared me to take what I learned about the individual and apply it to
populations in a community context.
How did your educational experiences help prepare
you for your professional life?

8. Be flexible about where you see yourself. During my time atWOU, I considered law school, teaching, being a
therapist/psychiatrist, or a school counselor. Even once I picked my grad school program, I was certain I
would end up working with maternal and child programming.And here I am, running around teaching quality
improvement and getting excited about graphs and surveys.
Get practical experience – as much as you can. Network and do informational interviews with people who
do the jobs you think you want to do. Find out what their day to day looks like. Do they sit at a desk all day or
are they out in the community?
Lastly, take care of yourself along the way. Use the resources available to you: counseling, tutoring, exercise
classes etc.You are building the habits that you employ during times of stress that you will likely continue
during the rest of your life.Western is a very special place, full of people who care, so be sure to soak up your
time there.
What advice do you have for students?

9. www.wou.edu/hexs