MHA Student Serves as First Point of Contact for State Residents
Martha Téllez is volunteering with the Illinois Department of Public Health's COVID-19 hotline.
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As a volunteer with the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 crisis hotline, Martha Téllez has seen witnessed the timeline of the outbreak through the changing questions she is fielding from the public.
“When I first started, callers were afraid, anxious and panicking. There so much information and updates constantly being released that people weren’t sure what to do with all this information,” Téllez said. “As the weeks have progressed it’s turned more into technical questions.”
Téllez, BA in Public Health ’19 and a student in the Master of Healthcare Administration program, is one of a number of UIC students who have offered their services as the first voice of contact for people accessing IDPH.
“Most of the time people just wanted to hear some reassurance—someone who could tell them things will be fine, that everything is going to be okay,” Téllez said.
She says a typical volunteer shift will see calls seeking medical information, questions about symptoms, explaining the shelter-in-place order, healthcare workers seeking information protocol for PPE and strategies for cleaning surfaces. Téllez serves as a connecting point of IDPH’s resources to the general public.
Téllez cites her years in the BA in Public Health program as preparing her for dealing with the mass amount of information – and misinformation – that accompanied volunteering at the hotline. She says the critical thinking skills the program strengthened allowed her to better handle inquiries based on questionable sources.
Pending the outbreak situation, Téllez is scheduled to start her MHA preceptorship in June. She is currently considering Advocate Masonic Hospital in Lake View, Northwestern University Hospital’s quality control department, and Mt. Sinai as the site. She is interested in working in population health and hopes to pursue an administrative fellowship following her graduation in Spring 2021.
Her first year in the MHA program has provided her with insight into how health policy and policymakers are attempting to deal with the current crisis.
“Ultimately, we’re witnessing the importance of having strong leadership in managing a public health crisis.” Téllez said. “Whether we’re dealing with a pandemic or attempting to dismantle the health inequities that plague Chicago, people need a unifying message on how these issues will be addressed.”
“But I honestly remain optimistic—the common theme I hear throughout the calls are efforts of unity from people attempting to do their part in this global health movement.”