This internship is hosted by Interior Health, with funding from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.

Interior Health is the regional health authority responsible for delivering health and well-being services across the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Interior Health provides a wide range of services, including acute hospital care, long term care, community-based programs, and population and public health services. The Interior Health region encompasses a diverse geography, including urban, rural, and remote communities—59 municipalities, 10 regional districts, 54 First Nation communities and 15 Chartered Métis Communities. Interior Health is committed to climate sustainability and resilience through its 5-Year Climate Change and Sustainability Roadmap (2023).

The project

Evaluate a Rural Health Authority’s response mechanisms in the face of extreme temperature events. The primary objective is to evaluate Interior Health’s public health preparedness, response, and recovery processes during extreme temperature events. This includes assessing the ability to activate timely and adequate planning and response measures, communicate risks and availability of resources effectively to the public, including vulnerable populations, and coordinate with partner organizations, such as local governments, Indigenous partners and other community organizations. This project also involves identifying and operationalizing indicators that reflect the health authority’s capacity and effectiveness to plan and respond to extreme temperatures. These indicators will cover factors like:

• Preparedness: Training programs for staff, availability of early warning systems, access to
  resources, effectiveness of Interior Health in supporting the development of community
  response plans for extreme temperature events.
• Response: Timeliness of activating response plans, effectiveness of Interior Health in
  supporting the implementation of community response plans for extreme temperature
  events.
• Equity: Effectiveness of mechanisms for outreach to vulnerable populations, such as
  seniors, low-income households, and individuals with chronic illnesses. Consideration of
  the needs of vulnerable populations in response and recovery protocols.
  

The role

As part of the Population Health Climate Team, and working with other internal partners, the intern will play a crucial role by evaluating Interior Health’s public health preparedness, response, and recovery processes during extreme temperature events. This evaluation will provide the Health Authority with actionable insights into its processes and empower internal partners to make evidence-based improvements to enhance operational efficacy and community resilience.

Main tasks include:

Exploratory study (Month 1 – 2)

• Review the ways the mechanisms for responding to extreme temperature are evaluated in other jurisdictions and/or sectors. Identify relevant assessment criteria and indicators for measuring the effectiveness of preparedness, response, and recovery processes.
• Explore the Interior Health’s existing processes for responding to recent extreme temperature events by analyzing documents (i.e., plans, after-action reviews) and conducting interview and focus groups with health authority staff and community stakeholders to gather insights on challenges and successes of the existing response and recovery processes.

Process Evaluation (Month 3 – 4)

• Analyze the effectiveness of Interior Health’s mechanisms for responding to these events based on collected data (i.e., assessing efficacy of plans, preparedness activities including training for staff, internal communication, clarity of roles, inter-agency coordination, etc.).
• Evaluate the timeliness and adequacy of response actions. Review mechanisms for providing post-event support to affected communities and efforts to reduce long-term impacts on communities.

Qualifications and skills:

• Master’s student at UBC, SFU, UNBC or UVic enrolled in Environmental Science, Public Health, Planning, Business Administration, Evaluation, etc.
• Ability to review scientific and grey (i.e. reports) literature.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (including the creation of visual tools and compelling presentations).
• Familiarity with collecting, organizing and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.
• Critical thinking, ability to assess complex systems, identify gaps and propose solutions.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams and/or collaboratively with partners from multiple sectors.
• Experience with process and/or system evaluation, quality improvement.
• Adaptive thinking to address any challenges that may be encountered during the project.
• While not mandatory, familiarity with health systems, emergency management and/or preparedness, climate resilience, and evaluation science will be a valuable addition to this project.
• Honouring Interior Health’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self- identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).

Send application to glory.apantaku@interiorhealth.ca

This posting is covered by the Provincial Health Officer’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination orders and selected applicant(s) must comply. Interior Health now offers assistance from an Indigenous Employment Advisor. If you self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) and if you would like assistance with the application process and/or career exploration, send your question(s) via email IndigenousEmployment@interiorhealth.ca to be redirected to the Employment Advisor. We invite applicants to self-identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit within cover letters and/or resumes.