MPH Alumni Joel Reeves: Where Is He Now?

The Master of Public Health program’s series titled “Where Are They Now?” dives into each individual’s time as a student and how those experiences shaped their current professions. If you are interested in taking part in the series, please contact mph@ewu.edu. Catch up with Joel Reeves here!

Name: Joel Reeves

Graduation Year: May 2018

Job Title: Public Health Educator 2

Organization: Spokane Regional Health District

Describe your career path. Why public health?

Prior to going into public health, I was a professional chef for 11 years. After getting tired of working every night, weekend, and holiday, I pursued a B.S. in Exercise Science with the intention of becoming a physical therapist. After job shadowing, I found myself incredibly bored with being a physical therapist and was lucky enough to get an internship at Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) with the Healthy Eating program working on sodium reduction. Upon completion of my undergrad degree, I started to work at the SRHD as an Assessment and Evaluation Assistant and worked with a number of programs in the Health Promotion division. It quickly became evident that my understanding of public health was limited, and it would be beneficial for me to enroll in the MPH program at EWU. While attending the program I continued my work at SRHD and found myself focusing primarily on senior fall prevention. Shortly after finishing my graduate degree I was promoted to Public Health Educator 2 and oversee the Senior Falls Prevention program.

What are you responsible for in your current position?

The Senior Falls Prevention program at SRHD primarily focuses on increasing physical activity in older adults. I am the regional coordinator and Master Trainer for the Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL) evidence-based senior fitness program. This entails training instructors throughout a nine-county region in Eastern Washington, providing support in the form of equipment, marketing, continuing education, and technical assistance, observing classes for program fidelity, and participating on the Washington State SAIL Advisory Board. I am the coordinator for the Washington Falls Prevention Coalition: Eastern Washington which is a regional coalition consisting of for-profit and nonprofit organizations and individuals that serve older adults in Eastern Washington. I participate in the East Region Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Council, Washington State Injury Prevention Technical Advisory Committee, City of Spokane and City of Spokane Valley Fire Department Community Risk Reduction Coalition, and the Washington State Older Adult Fall Prevention Action Plan Board. I manage a social marketing campaign called Steady as We Go that focuses on increasing awareness of older adult-oriented fitness classes in Spokane County as well as sharing information and articles related to aging in health and other older adult related topics. I perform senior falls prevention and aging in health presentations upon request. I am currently working with the Building Well Being program with a focus on increasing the physical activity and utilization of the Active Play curriculum by teachers in early learning centers in Spokane.

What is your favorite part about your job?

I had never worked in an environment that was as flexible and low stress as this. We can make program decisions, within certain boundaries, and implement new strategies when necessary with minimal oversight. Also, being able to work remotely makes balancing work and life much easier. The other aspect I really enjoy is the variety of people with different educational backgrounds who work in my division which allows for input from perspectives one may not typically think of.

How did the MPH program prepare you for your current position?

The MPH program gave me the tools and skill set necessary to lead my own program. Everything I learned from program planning and evaluation, public health finance and law, statistics, and all other classes have been useful in some aspect of my job.

What was most memorable to you about your experiences in the MPH program?

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Aging in America Conference in San Francisco as part of the MPH program. Being able to experience this event with classmates from the MPH and Social Work programs made it even more enjoyable.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing an MPH?

While you may have your heart set on a certain specialty within the public health realm, don’t limit yourself. The options are almost limitless when it comes to the available opportunities and you never know what your previous job and personal experiences, whether you think it is relevant or not, will be able to add to whatever you end up doing.