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When she started her new job as Research Scientist I for the Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention of the New York State Department of Health/Health Research, Inc. (NYSDOH/HRI), Sabana Bhatta, MPH, CPH alumna, had no idea what the future had in store for her. “I was responsible for the management and the analyses of multiple data systems related to injury surveillance, which contributed to grant proposals and provided updated data to various internal and external stakeholders,” remembers Bhatta.

A couple of months later, COVID-19 hit and New York became the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. “At that time, execution of a successful COVID-19 response was a priority and needed experienced public health workers with a data background in the department to participate at various levels,” says Bhatta. 

Just in a few days, everything changed. “My work pivoted to COVID-19 response, and I have contributed to a variety of efforts carried out by NYSDOH, such as the regional support team for contact tracing, the school reopening plan review, the negative call center and vaccine allocation”, states Bhatta. Bhatta graduated from ����Թ� State with a Bachelor of Science in public health (global health concentration) in 2015 and achieved her MPH in biostatistics in 2018.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhatta’s job changed completely. “As part of the NYSDOH regional support team, I provided trainings and support about a new surveillance application for contact tracing and case investigation to DOH, local health departments and virtual staff,” she explains. “I participated in identifying any bugs in the surveillance system, recommended new enhancements to improve it as well as the testing of the environment. I also reviewed and supported school reopening plans, which were critical to ensure safe operation of schools across NYS during the pandemic”, she adds.

Since the pandemic started, Bhatta worked tirelessly to fight COVID-19. “At the height of the outbreak, I worked every single day for several months. While it was challenging, the silver lining is that I got to learn a lot of things fast and had the opportunity to witness how a state mobilizes large scale responses to public health crises,” she states. “It was certainly a learning experience. At a more personal level, it was satisfying to be able to contribute to one of the most important challenging times of public health history.”

According to Bhatta, her years at the College of Public Health prepared her for the challenges of the pandemic, and helped her being a great contribution to the New York community and to the entire public health sector. “The research experience I received at ����Թ� State has helped me with my professional career,” Bhatta concludes. “I am always forever thankful to Dr. Tara Smith, CPH professor of epidemiology, for her guidance and continuous support.”