Working in Clark County: Melanie Payne, epidemiologist

Working in Clark County, a brief profile of interesting Clark County business owners or a worker in the public, private, or nonprofit sector. Send ideas to Kay Richardson:

kay.richardson@columbian.com; fax 360-735-4598; phone 360-735-4550.

“Epidemiology is not a hard-and-fast science,” says Melanie Payne, who works as an epidemiologist for Clark County Public Health. “It’s both art and science — not so much about just crunching numbers, but asking what they mean for who is requesting the information,” she says. Payne often works in collaborative teams who gather data, lay out all the pieces like a puzzle, then make sense of them, prioritize them and set goals to address health issues. It’s no wonder, she says, that those who work in the field are sometimes called “disease detectives.”

Name: Melanie Payne.

Residence neighborhood: Hazel Dell.

Employer: Clark County Public Health, www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/index.asp

Age: 44.

Educational/professional background: I have worked as an epidemiologist in the field of public health for over 20 years at federal, state, and local government agencies. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Master of Public Health. Epidemiologists investigate the patterns and causes of disease and injury in populations to inform policy decisions and program activities. In other words, it tells us what’s wrong or right healthwise, where, and in what populations. The topics I work on vary from broad surveys looking at health risks and behaviors to specific issues such as maternal and child health, injuries, and chronic disease prevention.

How you got started in your work: I have always had an interest in the science behind things and was very fortunate to have the opportunity to do an internship (in college) and a fellowship (in graduate school) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. — the national public health agency.

Personal/work philosophy: Always do your best.

Most rewarding part of job: It is rewarding to provide people and agencies in our community with information that is useful and supports the programs and work they do. One project, Pregnancy Partners, was gratifying because we here at Clark Public Health identified a need, then collaborated with partners who came together to address it. We received a national award as a “model practice.” My current project is the Healthy Columbia Willamette Collaborative with partners from Clark County and several Oregon counties.

Most challenging part of job: I am not always able to give people the information they are looking for in the way they want it because it is not available or it is limited. Not everything is measured the way someone might want it, so sometimes it’s close but not exact.

Something readers might find surprising about your work? You don’t have to be a math whiz to do this work! Math is a strong component of epidemiology, but it is a profession that also requires a lot of logic, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Best feature of your Clark County community: It’s a split! The great outdoors and abundance of recreation opportunities — I love being so close to the mountains, rivers and coast. The people and sense of community — I love running into people around town or seeing children I’ve coached in soccer or know from my children’s school.

What would make your community a better place? Opportunities for people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Favorite restaurant: Benny’s Pizza.

Hobbies: I enjoy time with family and friends. I generally like anything outdoors including hiking, skiing, camping and I am a lifelong soccer player.

Your favorite travel destination: Anywhere sunny and warm!

Most enjoyable book or arts event in past 12 months: My family and I attended a screening for the Pixar-Disney movie “Inside Out.” It was neat to see a film in production — storyboards and all.

Something you’d like to do this year/within five years: Personal — visit a tropical island. Professional — participate in the upcoming Community Health Improvement Planning process to support public health’s mission to improve the health of our residents.

One word to describe yourself: Detail-oriented or collaborative.

Someone you’d most like to meet: The World Champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.