Planning and Health Improvement Associate

Term of Service: 10/19/2026 to 06/25/2027 (36 weeks)

Slot Type and Minimum Service

Hours:

Half Time; 900 Hours, 27 hours per week on average

Living Allowance: $11,000 disbursed in equal bi-weekly increments across service term

Educational Award: $3697.50 awarded upon successful completion of hours at the end of service term.

Host Site: Ingham County Health Department

Position Title: Planning and Health Improvement Associate

Reports To: Anne Barna, Deputy Health Officer
- Administration

The Ingham County Health Department (ICHD) is a local public health agency serving the residents and communities of Ingham County, Michigan. ICHD works to protect, improve, and advocate for the health and well-being of the community by addressing the conditions that allow all people to achieve their best possible health. The Health Department provides a broad range of public health and health care services, including disease prevention and control, environmental health, maternal and child health, health promotion, community health planning and partnerships, emergency preparedness, and accessible primary health care through Ingham Community Health Centers.

ICHD works collaboratively with residents, community organizations, health care providers, schools, local governments, and other partners to identify community needs, address health inequities, and create healthier and more equitable communities.

As part of its commitment to continuous improvement and community-centered public health, ICHD is undertaking strategic planning to establish priorities and guide its work for the future. An Ameri Corps Member supporting this effort will have an opportunity to contribute to meaningful organizational and community change while gaining hands‑on experience in public health planning, community engagement, data-informed decision‑making, and cross-sector collaboration.

• Support the development, implementation, and monitoring of the health department's strategic plan.
• Assist with coordinating strategic planning meetings, work groups, staff engagement activities, and community engagement opportunities.
• Collect, organize, and summarize community health, organizational, and environmental data to inform strategic priorities.
• Conduct research and environmental scans related to emerging public health issues, community needs, health disparities, and promising practices.
• Assist with developing and administering staff and community surveys, focus groups, listening sessions, and other engagement activities.
• Analyze and summarize feedback from staff, community members, and partners and identify common themes and potential areas for action.
• Assist in translating strategic priorities into measurable goals, objectives, strategies, action steps, and performance measures.
• Develop and maintain tracking tools to monitor strategic plan implementation and progress.
• Prepare presentations, reports, data summaries, infographics, and other materials to communicate strategic planning findings and progress.
• Research strategic planning and organizational improvement practices used by other local and state health departments.
• Assist with identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration across health department programs and branches.
• Support efforts to align strategic planning with quality improvement, performance management, health equity, community health assessment, and public health accreditation activities.
• Participate in health department meetings, professional development activities, and other learning opportunities that build knowledge and skills in governmental public health.
• Perform other duties and special projects that support organizational effectiveness and community…