Don't necessarily have to be in an essay form..... Interview Exercise During the first two modules of this course, you are to contact a public health agency of your interest. This exercise will assist you in understanding the scope of public health and the diverse roles and functions of public health agencies. The agency of your choice can be selected at your local level (e.g., Planned Parenthood), at the state level (e.g., Center for Black Women's Wellness) or at the national level (e.g., Centers for Disease Control). This exercise will heighten your awareness and interest of a public health agency that you may select to complete your applied practice experience (APE) work during the final stages of this program. As part of this exercise, you are to connect with the public health agency and interview a leader or public health agent about the purpose of the agency, population of focus, and current public health programs the agency has initiated. You will be using the answers from the interview questions and applying what you learned in the weekly discussions during Modules 3–7. Public Health Agencies Below is a list of public health agencies, but not an inclusive list, to get you started on this exercise. You can research other public health agencies that are local and of your interest to interview. You will not be required to conduct your applied practice experience with this agency, but this exercise may help you in selecting a site to use in the future. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry American Cancer Society American Red Cross Area Agency on Aging CARE Center for AIDS Center for Black Women's Wellness Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Center for Rural Health Science Children's Healthcare Community Action Program (HCAP) Community Food Bank Food and Drug Administration Health Resources and Services Administration Indian Health Service Mental Health America National Kidney Foundation Tropical Agriculture, Food and Animal Sciences Planned Parenthood Questions The following interview questions are to be asked during your interview with a public health agency: What is the purpose of the agency? What is the target population? What are the goals of the agency? What governmental policies are supporting the goals of the agency? What environmental factors are influencing the health of the target population? What research studies are being conducted to address the needs of the target population? What evidence-based practice initiatives are being conducted to advance the goals for the agency? What prevention programs are being instituted to address the needs of the target population? Are any health promotion activities being instituted to address the needs of the target population? What future programs are being considered to address the need of the target population?