Jeffrey Bale taught at a school in Okanguati, Namibia, as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is seen here with students outside of the school grounds in Namibia.

National pollster John Zogby describes Georgia Department of Public Health intern Jeffrey Bale's generation as "first globals."

Zogby's data show that two out of three of the "first globals" will own passports, travel the world and connect via social networks to global communities. Bale has done just that, expanding his worldview through travels to Honduras, Peru, Chile, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania and Namibia.

Bale is expanding his public health experiences as an intern in the Epidemiology Section through the Georgia Department of Public Health's (DPH) Office of Training and Workforce Development (OTWD) State Intern and Volunteer Program.

"Jeff Bale is carrying out most of the activities associated with our Adolescent Immunization Study," said Rebecca M. Willis, MHS, immunization study epidemiologist. "This is the first year DPH is conducting an adolescent study, so Jeff is inventing the wheel, so to speak. He will be doing a lot of data collection, data analysis and report writing. This is a very exciting opportunity for DPH because adolescent immunization is the current hot topic in immunization programs across the U.S. It will be great to have some adolescent data for reporting and program planning in Georgia."

Bale can take you all over the world in just one conversation through his vast experiences and international travels. He served as a member of the Peace Corps in Namibia and, in 2005, he studied economic development at the University de Chile.

Bale said he is ready to make a difference.

"I am excited about the opportunity to assist DPH in improving the health status of all Georgians," said Bale. "I am working in the epidemiology section on immunization. I am analyzing the Georgia Registry and Immunization & Transactions & Services (GRITS) database to determine if adolescents in Georgia are up-to-date in their childhood immunizations."

Bale became interested in the health of populations during his undergraduate studies in biology and political economy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. He did not learn about the field of public health until later.

Jeffrey Bale in Utah after hiking with college buddies. He enjoys anything outdoors especially hiking, mountain biking, and walking.

"I chose public health as a profession after serving in the Peace Corps in Namibia and watching my community crippled by infectious diseases. While teaching in my first year, my community suffered an outbreak of cholera that closed the school," Bale said. I spent the next few months working with the community and Ministry of Health to improve the sanitary conditions of the environment and re-open the school. After that experience, I spent the rest of my time working on cholera and HIV/AIDS prevention in my community. When I returned to the U.S., I decided to apply to Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and pursue a master's degree in public health."

Through the Peace Corps and his academic experiences, Bale's generation of first globals is weighing in on how to address health disparities and health care in the U.S.

Jeffrey Bale in Utah, which is known for great mountain biking. He is training for his first marathon, the Savannah Marathon in November.

"In my opinion, the greatest need in addressing health disparities in Georgia and in the U.S. is to improve the U.S. healthcare system to increase access to the uninsured and stop the exploding costs of healthcare," said Bale.

He sees his DPH internship as an exciting time to grasp the various aspects of public health in the U.S., particularly in Georgia.

"I will continue to learn and work hard in my current position in public health and hope to make a difference for that organization and the people it serves," explained Bale.

Bale will complete his Master of Public Health degree at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in May 2013.

"It is important to teach the next generation of public health professionals with the most up-to-date knowledge and skills. Just as I have been fortunate to have wonderful teachers and mentors, I hope to help teach the next generation of public health professionals," Bale said.

- Story by Connie F. Smith, DPH Communications