Serving Baltimore at John Hopkins Hospital Adult Emergency Department

Presenter: Disha Sanwal, Chemistry & Applied Mathmatics, Global Public Health Scholars

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For my practicum project, I volunteered in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Adult Emergency Department in Baltimore, MD. With emergency departments ranging from very hectic to very calm, I got to experience the variable lifestyle of health professionals that work there. Relating to public health, emergency departments foster patients of varying backgrounds, socioeconomic status, etc. that all need optimal access to healthcare. With issues like overcrowding, providing quick and accurate medical attention in emergency situations is a big challenge. To help alleviate the work of health professionals, along with other student volunteers, I streamlined workflow in waiting rooms by relaying patient concerns and providing patients with food, drinks, and blankets. In the care units, I would check in on each patient, and stock and organize the rooms. I would also transport medical labs to testing sites across the hospital campus and overall ensure patient satisfaction to the best of my ability. I experienced language barriers and got to tap into public health issues such as maintaining health safety and regularly practicing good sanitation habits in an environment like a hospital, where sickness is prevalent. Overall, this practicum helped me get a taste of the medical field and understand what the medical path would actually be like. It really helped me understand whether or not the medical profession was right for me and I am grateful to have gotten the experience.