By Angelita Faller

GRAMBLING, LA – Brianna Johnson has made it her mission to educate people without adequate health insurance about critical issues in health.

Johnson, a senior majoring in kinesiology with a concentration in health promotion, is spending the spring semester interning at Our Lady of the Lady Health System (OLOL) in Baton Rouge, where she creates educational materials informing the public about a variety of health conditions.

Covering 11 parishes, OLOL is one of the largest medical providers in Louisiana. Johnson is working in the Community Advocacy Department. As part of the community’s health assessment plan, Johnson is responsible for creating health education displays and toolkits that are used in waiting rooms, health fairs and other events.

“I go to different clinics in the Baton Rouge area, and I have educational tabletops. I basically provide information to the patients. I educate the underinsured and uninsured. That’s my main focus, because the different clinics I go to are in rural areas, so a lot of them may not have education on different health issues,” Johnson said.

The health education materials cover several critical health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, cancer, depression, mental health, substance abuse and Alzheimer’s disease.

Johnson’s internship is part of the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) internship program. DHPE’s program provides internships in public health programs to students from minority-serving institutions. Johnson is the second GSU student to earn an internship through DHPE.

After her graduation in May, Johnson will attend Louisiana State University at New Orleans. She is planning to earn a master’s degree in either Community and Behavioral Health or Public Health Nursing.

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