Erin Sullivan1, Jin Ye Yeo2
1Foreign Service Officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, USA; 2MH Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company
Correspondence to: Jin Ye Yeo. MH Editorial Office, AME Publishing Company. Email: editor@themhealth.org
This interview can be cited as: Sullivan E, Yeo JY. Meeting the Editorial Board Member of MH: Ms. Erin Sullivan. mHealth. 2024. Available from: https://mhealth.amegroups.org/post/view/meeting-the-editorial-board-member-of-mh-ms-erin-sullivan.
Expert introduction
Ms. Erin Sullivan (Figure 1) is a Foreign Service Officer at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She received a Master of Science in Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, where her work focused on HIV key populations, demography, and social and behavior change. Her research focuses on health equity, the intersection of health behavior change and digital health, and the adoption and integration of digital health in health service delivery. Her most recent work focuses on the use of digital health at school-based health centers before and after the emergence of COVID-19 in the US. Ms. Sullivan is a reviewer for several population health-focused journals and serves on the editorial board of Health Technology.
Figure 1 Ms. Erin Sullivan
Interview
MH: How did you first become interested in public health, particularly in relation to HIV key populations and social and behavior change?
Ms. Sullivan: I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northern Ethiopia, and I noticed that there were many misconceptions about public health, resulting in suboptimal health outcomes. I applied my background in communications and marketing to work with local educators and health extension workers to initiate a number of grassroots behavior change initiatives. Through this experience, I also became more aware of the inequities that can lead to HIV risk. My subsequent positions with Population Services International and Johns Hopkins University focused on the intersections of health equity and behavior change.
MH: As a Foreign Service Officer at USAID, what does your role involve on a day-to-day basis? How do you see it contributing to global health outcomes?
Ms. Sullivan: USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world. As a foreign service officer based overseas, my day-to-day involves providing technical assistance and oversight to our global health projects in my current country of assignment. In my current assignment in Ghana, I focus mostly on donor coordination – ensuring that USAID is collaborating with other major donors and avoiding duplicated efforts – and monitoring and evaluation.
MH: You have conducted research on health equity and the adoption of digital health in health service delivery. Can you share some of the key findings or insights from your work in these areas?
Ms. Sullivan: Digital health has enormous potential, especially in the low- and middle-income countries where I work. However, initial start-up requires a lot of stakeholder buy-in, financial support, and technical oversight for success.
MH: Your recent work focuses on digital health in school-based health centers before and after COVID-19. What changes did you observe in the use of digital health tools in these centers, and how did the pandemic impact their adoption of these tools?
Ms. Sullivan: Technology allowed school-based health centers to continue to provide life-saving care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during times of school closures and mandated social distancing. Many health centers launched telehealth operations for the first time during the pandemic, whereas others altered or expanded already established digital services. However, unique concerns arose regarding using technology to deliver health care to youth, including privacy concerns and the digital divide in the United States.
MH: In your opinion, what are the key factors that determine the success or failure of digital health interventions?
Ms. Sullivan: Stakeholder buy-in from leadership, implementers, and end users, is a major factor in the ultimate success of a health intervention. If all levels of stakeholders are not engaged and on board every step of the way, an intervention will not succeed.
MH: As a reviewer for several population health journals, what trends or emerging topics in health behavior change and digital health are you seeing in the research literature?
Ms. Sullivan: I am seeing an increase in research surrounding the use of technology to improve the health outcomes of children and traditionally hard-to-reach populations.
MH: How has your experience been as an Editorial Board Member of MH?
Ms. Sullivan: It has been a very rewarding experience to serve as an Editorial Board Member for MH. I appreciate the privilege of reviewing the latest digital health-focused literature.
MH: As an Editorial Board Member, what are your aspirations and expectations for MH?
Ms. Sullivan: I expect that MH will continue to showcase the latest insights in the field of digital health and showcase a diversity of perspectives.