Summer 2023 Intern Cohort Brings Diverse Academic Backgrounds to JHF’s Work

(Pictured L to R): Gabriella Agostaro, Benjamin Appel, Jonah Cortez, Elizabeth Klusman, Lauren Paine, Hadar Re’em, Sumedha Sripada, and Riley Wolynn.

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation internship program resumes this summer with six interns serving across all the Foundation's focus areas. This year's interns bring a diverse range of academic backgrounds and interests to JHF's initiatives.

Gabriella Agostaro is a doctoral candidate in the healthcare ethics program at Duquesne University. She joined the Aging Team as an intern in the summer of 2022 and is excited to continue to progress end-of-life education and care for the geriatric population.

Benjamin Appel is a rising senior at York College of Pennsylvania, pursuing a bachelor's degree in biology. This summer he is working with the Aging and Long-Term Care team to identify systemic issues within the nursing home infrastructure and to conceptualize innovative solutions. In the future, he is committed to developing self-sustaining philanthropic programs for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Jonah Cortez is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing his Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in health policy and management. He will be interning at JHF this summer supporting recruitment, retention, and training of the Behavioral Health Fellows program. His passion in understanding the impact of health policy on health outcomes is why he is eager to contribute to the success of behavioral health initiatives in Allegheny County.

Elizabeth Klusman is a second-year master's student at the University of Pittsburgh, pursuing a Master of Public Health in epidemiology. She is working as an intern for the HIV/AIDS program aiding in the Ryan White Program needs assessment. Her areas of interest include infectious disease, women's health, and global health.

Lauren Paine is a student at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management. Lauren Paine joined JHF as an intern on the patient safety initiatives in 2022 and is excited to continue to advance the projects throughout the summer.

Hadar Re'em is a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a dual master's degree in public health and social work. She will be working on women's health initiatives at JHF this summer. Re'em seeks to support continued efforts to eliminate racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes.

Sumedha Sripada is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, pursuing a bachelor's degree in computational biology. She joined JHF to work as a data intern for the Revisiting the Teaching Nursing Home initiative, where she will assist with analyzing clinical data from nursing homes.

Riley Wolynn is a student at the University of Pittsburgh's Accelerated Public Health Program, pursuing a Master of Public Health in behavioral and community health sciences with a certificate in health equity. She will be joining the communications team at JHF this summer for her practicum.