Posting number: 093026
Department: Health and Human Services - Office of Public Health
Job classification: Public Health Spring and Summer Intern
Posting type: Open
Categories: Public Health
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Public Health is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2027 Public Health Spring and Summer Internship Program.
This internship is designed to provide meaningful, hands-on experience within a local health department. Interns may work alongside public health professionals to support core public health functions such as disease prevention, emergency preparedness, community engagement, and health promotion initiatives across Montgomery County.
The intern will support healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance, outbreak response, and prevention activities within the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Responsibilities will include assisting with outbreak monitoring in long-term care facilities, supporting disease investigations and surveillance activities, completing data entry and case documentation, and developing program tools and educational materials. The intern will collaborate with healthcare providers, infection preventionists, healthcare facility staff, and community partners to support infection prevention and public health response efforts.
The intern will support foodborne disease surveillance, investigation, and prevention activities within the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Responsibilities will include assisting with illness complaint follow-up, supporting Salmonella and Campylobacter case investigations, conducting patient interviews, and providing foodborne illness prevention guidance. The intern will communicate with healthcare providers, residents, and community partners, support data entry and case documentation activities, and assist with the development of program tools, quick-reference guides, and communication materials.
The intern will support perinatal hepatitis B surveillance, case management, and prevention activities within the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Responsibilities will include assisting with follow-up of hepatitis B-positive pregnant individuals and exposed infants, conducting phone outreach to patients and healthcare providers, supporting care coordination, and completing data entry, case documentation, and quality assurance activities.
The intern will support sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevention and control activities within the Division of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention. Responsibilities will include assisting with disease surveillance, provider follow-up, case documentation, data entry, and data quality activities. The intern will support condom distribution initiatives, including the Mail Me Condoms program, inventory management, and preparation of prevention materials. The intern may also assist with educational materials, outreach activities, and other program initiatives that support STI and HIV prevention efforts.
The intern will support ongoing preparedness activities. Responsibilities include supporting the development and improvement of emergency response and other plans, supporting the planning and execution of initiatives such as Community Vaccination and Potassium Iodine Distribution (KI), and supporting emergency response initiatives such as infectious disease outbreaks, and other duties as needed. Internship will be hybrid with interns expected to be in-person at least one day per week. In-person expectations may be increased based on the requirements of assigned projects. This is an unpaid opportunity.
The intern will support healthy food access initiatives within Health Promotion and Aging Services. Responsibilities include assisting with the development and delivery of nutrition and garden education programs throughout the County, supporting the Norristown community garden through volunteer coordination and onsite programming, and participating in food demonstrations by researching healthy recipes, preparing materials, and distributing food samples. The intern will also assist with program evaluation development and support food safety monitoring programs that are done in collaboration with the Office of Aging Services. This may include assessing hygiene practices, food temperatures, food quality, and client satisfaction.
Applicants must be currently pursuing a bachelor's degree or higher in Public Health, Environmental Science, Epidemiology, Health Policy, Health Education, Emergency Management, or a related field through an accredited college or university.
While this is an unpaid internship, we will assist students in completing requirements to obtain academic credit. Specific start and end date will be determined in coordination with supervisors.
Additional Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.? Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit; and talk and hear.? The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands or arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.? The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.? Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and depth perception.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Montgomery County is the third largest county in Pennsylvania. With just under 900,000 people living in its 487 square miles, Montgomery County is home to scores of major employers in pharmaceuticals, banking, manufacturing, healthcare and education.
The Montgomery County government and the services it provides to its residents is a reflection of the county itself – large, diversified, sophisticated and efficient. With close to 2,400 employees, Montgomery County provides a wide range of services serving social needs, business development, employee training, recreational opportunities, public safety, court services and roads and bridges.
The county provides and coordinates social services in innovative and efficient ways through several departments including the Office of Children and Youth, Developmental Disabilities, and Aging and Adult Services.
Montgomery County maintains 75 miles of roads and 131 bridges; has developed roughly 100 miles of multi-use trails throughout the county; and cares for seven county parks and five historic sites.
Montgomery County also boasts an award-winning Department of Public Safety, which includes the only internationally accredited emergency dispatch center (911) in Pennsylvania.
The county government provides many other services to its residents, and the county, itself, is home to a wide range of recreational, cultural and artistic outlets. It is served by an excellent public transportation system and its proximity to Philadelphia adds a great deal more to the quality of life in Montgomery County.
