Luboom Taa Spring 2026 Fellowship Experience

This Spring I had the incredible honor to work as a chronic care intern at Unity health care, largest network of community health centers in Washington DC. During my practicum, I contributed to the Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support program (DSMES) by developing deliverables that directly addressed public health gaps in chronic disease prevention, patient education, care coordination, and diabetes management. My work included a DSMES project analysis summary, a structured program workflow, patient outreach materials, an updated Type 2 Diabetes treatment algorithm, and a final analysis with recommendations. Together, these deliverables helped translate data into action by identifying gaps in patient knowledge, emotional stress, burnout, and barriers to diabetes self-management. 
The value of these deliverables lies in their ability to strengthen both patient-facing and provider-facing systems. The outreach tools helped make DSMES more accessible and culturally responsive for patients at Anacostia and Brentwood Health Centers, while the workflow provided a clearer process for enrollment, missed-session tracking, and program accountability. The updated Type 2 Diabetes treatment algorithm supported clinicians with evidence-informed guidance based on the 2026 ADA Standards of Care, including considerations for chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular risk, medication selection, and annual screenings. Through this experience, I learned that improving public health requires both strong data analysis and meaningful human connection, especially when working with communities facing chronic disease burdens. I also learned the importance of designing tools that are practical and culturally responsive. Finally, the survey analysis demonstrated gains in participant knowledge while also highlighting the need for stronger psychosocial support and culturally tailored nutrition interventions. Through this experience, I saw how real-world public health practice can close gaps between clinical recommendations and real-world patient needs, ultimately helping improve chronic care outcomes for underserved communities.
Kindly access the following link to visualize my works: https://github.com/TaaLuboom/MPH-Practicum-Project.git