Alejandra Escoto (19MPH) is a program coordinator for the Division of Child and Community Health at the University of Iowa. In this role, she develops and implements Title V programming aimed at improving the health of Iowa’s children and youth with special health care needs. She recently answered a few questions about her path to public health and current job.
SEEING HEALTH THROUGH A COMMUNITY LENS What made you choose a career in public health? When I was an undergraduate student at Iowa, a friend shared a cool research opportunity that they were a part of. I reached out to Dr. Daniel-Ulloa at the College of Public Health (now at the University of Washington) and began working with him on various research projects. Through these research opportunities, I fell in love with public health and the thought processes behind looking at health through a community lens. These experiences during my undergraduate career pushed me to pursue my MPH with an emphasis in community and behavioral health. I continued working on a variety of research projects during this time. Shortly after graduation, I started in my current position.
What does a typical day look like in your current job? Every day is a bit different, but I typically have meetings with my team to discuss collaboration on the various projects we’re working on. I also sometimes consult with our regional centers across the state about care coordination workflows. I also work with the Title V program manager to write, edit, and manage data for Iowa’s annual Title V block grant application and needs assessment.
14 SPRING 2021 INSIGHT
