Katherine (Brady) Peterman ’13 decided to attempt to re-enter the workforce this summer after spending two years at home with her young son. Thanks in part to Shenandoah University, she possessed the skill set necessary to take on an essential job in a year defined by a public health crisis.
Peterman, who earned Bachelor of Science degrees in public health and kinesiology at Shenandoah University and a Master of Public Health from George Washington University, found the perfect opportunity on LinkedIn: a remote position as a COVID-19 case investigator for the Virginia Department of Health’s Saluda, Virginia-based Three Rivers Health District.
It met all the needs of my family during these crazy times and was something I was interested in and was applicable to my academic background.”
Katherine (Brady) Peterman ’13
As a case investigator, she reaches out to people with lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases. “We inquire about their symptoms and determine their infectious period. We guide them through what their isolation period looks like and help connect them with any resources needed. From there, we try to determine their contacts, so we can reach out to them to quarantine, to attempt to stop the spread of the disease.” She follows each case for a minimum of 10 days. “Ninety percent of the cases I call are grateful we call to check on them. It’s always nice to know you’re making a difference.”
Prior to staying home with her son, Peterman had worked in on-site corporate wellness.
This is kind of the same in relationship building, to get the cases to talk, but I had never thought of doing anything remote, especially case investigation and contact tracing.”
Katherine (Brady) Peterman ’13
The ability to build meaningful relationships is something she says she honed at Shenandoah through her small classes. (She also built a personal relationship through the university – her husband, John ’13, is also a Shenandoah graduate. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. And, she remains close with her Shenandoah field hockey teammates, and has coached high school field hockey in the Richmond area for the past five seasons.)
The work also has provided Peterman with a new perspective on epidemiology, which wasn’t her favorite aspect of her public health education. “This is a more practical version of epidemiology where I can apply my health education skills, so it’s perfect,” she said.
People are cooperative once they receive her call, she added. “They’re very willing to share their experience and details. Some are wary of sharing their contacts out of fear of it being traced back to them,” she said. “But the majority share everything with us, are grateful we call to help them through this and are happy to help grow our knowledge of COVID-19.”
