Summer Intern
By Blythe Thompson ‘26This summer, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Lisa Letourneau, Senior Advisor for Delivery System Change at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
My central project involved evaluating strategies for strengthening primary care and developing a set of recommendations for Maine, culminating in a written report and presentation to Maine DHHS leadership. While conducting the research for my final report, I spoke with a diverse group of primary care stakeholders in Maine, including clinicians, patient advocates, and public health leaders.
As a lifelong Maine resident and pre-medical student, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Maine’s primary care landscape. I was particularly fortunate to work with Dr. Letourneau, who utilizes both her clinical training and public policy expertise in her role at the Maine DHHS. This internship furthered my understanding of health policy work and reinforced my desire to combine public health research with my clinical aspirations. I am grateful to Dr. Letourneau and the CXD Funded Internship Program for making this transformative experience possible.
Student Internship Fund provided by Barbara Gross '77