myCSUSM
COVID-19 Work by Students and Alumni
Zach Nortz
Cohort 9
Alicia Vicencio (Espinoza)
Cohort 7
COVID-19 Case Investigator, COSD HHSA
August 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Identify COVID-19 cases and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Ashley N. Reyes, MPH
Cohort 5
Lead Investigator at the County of San Diego’s Epidemiology Department
May 2020
Describe your work or project?
I supervise a group of 20 case investigators and monitor their caseload, scheduling,
and conduct QA reviews in support of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also notify appropriate
administrators of any high-profile or high-risk exposures, deaths, and/or outbreaks.
Nikalina Plescia
Cohort 9
Population Health Team Member, Prime Medical
March 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Oversee patients with chronic conditions to ensure all their health needs are being
met and any issues are being addressed with patients primary care physicians due to
COVID restrictions. Patients can only be seen virtually unless PCP believes it’s emergent.
Some patients do not have the technology to video chat with the doctor so we keep
in contact with the patient on a weekly, sometime daily basis to ensure all concerns
are being addressed with the doctor. Also monitoring ER visits to better understand
trends in diagnoses and working with my team to help prevent the need to visit the
ER.
Cohort 3
Exposure Management Specialist on the COVID-19 ICS Education Sector with the Acute
Communicable Disease Control Division, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
with the Substance Abuse Prevention and Control team
Health Educator: 07/2019-03/2020, Public Health Specialist: 03/2020-09/2020, Exposure
Management Specialist: 09/2020-Present
Describe your work or project?
I am currently teleworking and facilitating the reopening of colleges, k-12 and early
childhood education. I am communicating with various teams to discuss how to safely
reopen facilities while preventing COVID-19 from spreading. Currently, we are opening
schools at 10% capacity and will gauge the number of cases to decide if more students
should be allowed on campuses. My role is primarily on post exposure. If a case is
reported we monitor to ensure they are not epidemiologically linked and it is my role
to update schools on safety protocols and delegate to the investigation team.
Cohort 2
Homeless Services Manager: City of Oceanside
May 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Worked with partners and Vendors to provide Non-Congregate Sheltering for residents
of oceanside experiencing homelessness. Also, provide Homeless Prevention and Intervention
Programs for those affected by COVID-19.I am incredibly proud to be working for a
City invested in helping our most vulnerable residents, especially during the pandemic.
Thank you to Dr. Morton, my data sensei, she helped discover my passion for the Social
Sciences. Thank you to Professor Jason Coker, who mentored me and helped me find my
vocation to serve underserved and disadvantaged populations.
Oceanside Bridge Expansion Program
Stephen G. Basubas, MPH
Cohort 6
Contact Tracer for Riverside County Department of Public Health
July 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Assist case investigators with investigating source COVID-19 positive patients and
solicit any possible contacts. Make calls to contact patients and disclose their exposure
to the virus. Conduct follow-up calls to follow case patients and contact activities.
Connect source patients and contacts with County services to minimize their hardship
during this troubling time. Offer empathy to reduce panic among COVID positive patients.I
would like to thank Drs. Deborah Morton and AsherLev Santos for the guidance and leadership
they provided during my MPH experience at CSU San Marcos.
Jamielee A. Gruspe, MPH
Cohort 3
Contact Tracing Lead, UCSD COVID Team, University of California San Diego
July 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
As a Contact Tracer Lead, I make sure contact tracers are fully equipped and ready
to conduct COVID calls. While conducting data reports, I help train, guide, assure
team flow, and relay information to the CORE team if any contact tracers are having
any concerns. Furthermore, I make sure contact tracers have all the needed resources
to provide San Diego County information to help prevent COVID transmission and protect
a healthy community.
I would like to thank the CSUSM MPH Program for helping me prepare for the public
health experience outside of academia. Also, a big shout out to Dr. Christina Holub
for mentoring me in developing leadership skills for community research and program
development.
Esmeralda Elia
Cohort 9
Research Associate II, Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation
March 2020 - July 2020
Describe your work or project?
I worked as a Research Associate in the Clinical Trial treatment of COVID-19 with
the drug Remdesivir, sponsored by Gilead. My main job was to extract and pull data
from patient EMR into the Gilead Clinical Trial database. Kaiser Permanente of Southern
California was one of the many worldwide sites. The clinicians had so many patients
and the Department of Research and Evaluation at Kaiser Permanente assisted with programming,
data search, and entry, among other things. Our department worked daily, including
most weekends, during this time due to a 48-hour turnaround period. Remdesivir is
now an FDA-approved treatment for patients with severe COVID-19.
I have been an employee at Kaiser Permanente for 6 years and I am proud to have been
selected to work on this study.
Courtney Jones
Cohort 9
Contact Tracing Coordinator, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
(through a grant funded position by the CDC Foundation)
August 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
From a grant, I work remotely for the state of Montana as a Contact Tracer Coordinator
where I train contact tracers statewide, aid the Communicable Disease Epidemiology
and STD sections, and coordinate responses for an outbreak by directing local health
jurisdictions, Native American tribes, and the National Guard. I'm also in charge
of out-of-state COVID cases where I contact other states and Canada regarding test
results.
The CDC Foundation constantly has different jobs posted
Cohort 3
Case Investigator, County of San Diego Public Health Services
August 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
I contact cases that tested positive for COVID-19, collect information, give them
guidance, and provide them with resources.
Cohort 7
Student, CSUSM Master of Public Health Program
June 2020 - August 2020 (with Dr. Deborah Morton, Leila Lawson & Courtney Brewer)
Describe your work or project?
Covid19 Antibody test explainer.
May 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Systematic Literature Review of the US response to the coronavirus pandemic focused
on screening Interventions with International comparisons.
I'd like to thank my thesis chair Dr. Morton, and my co-chair Dr. Santos for their
advice and suggestions.
Stephanie Melissa Lee
Cohort 9
Case Investigator, County of San Diego
August 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
Conducting COVID-19 disease investigations.
Cohort 7
Student, CSUSM Master of Public Health Program
Summer 2020
Describe your work or project?
Analyzing SARS-CoV-2 and the current emergency use authorization of antibody testing
under the FDA. Research and report findings with team members under the advisement
of our site supervisor to create a final document encompassing information curated
to be easily digestible for community members without a science background.
Covid-19 Antibody Testing Guide
Leticia Montoya
Cohort 9
Case Investigator, County of San Diego
July 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
As a case investigator, I interview individuals in the County of San Diego that have
COVID-19. During this interview, I build rapport and try to engage as much as possible,
making it apparent we are a resource and will guide them through the process. The
interview questions consist of basic demographics/health information, questions regarding
where they may have been exposed (work, travel, restaurants, etc) and whom they have
had contact with(friends, household members, relatives). We gather as much information
as possible, as this information is essential in slowing the spread of the virus.
San Diego County.gov
Luciana Manfrim Bchir, MPH
Cohort 4
Case Investigator at County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency/ Epidemiology
and Immunization Services Branch
September 2020 - present
Describe your work or project?
As a case investigator working for the County of San Diego COVID-19 response team,
I conduct interviews that allow for the collection of critical information about people
diagnosed with COVID-19 and potentially exposed contacts. I provide support, education,
referrals, and answers to questions people may have. To perform my job appropriately,
I apply concepts of cultural competence, cultural responsiveness, and cultural humility
learned during my MPH at CSUSM. The work I perform allows me to leverage the core
of my MPH.