Archive for category: Students and Internships
An Internship Today…Shaping the Health Care of Tomorrow
Each summer, Northwell Health hosts the Healthcare Management Program (HMP), an internship for college juniors interested in learning about the administrative side of health care. It’s an extensive and unique 10-week paid internship, 
offering a firsthand perspective on what it’s like to serve as an administrator for our many hospitals, service lines or departments. Samara Jefferson, one of this year’s participants, shared how this experience has shaped the direction of her studies and future career.
Samara learned about the internship through her school, Spelman College in Atlanta. She initially felt outside her comfort zone because of her minimal background in business and finance, but her mentor — Nora Brady, an administrative director at Katz Women’s Hospital — provided encouragement and boosted her confidence in understanding the many facets of hospital operations. There was constant guidance and no question was off-limits. “I’ve realized there’s no such thing as the perfect administrator,” Samara says. “We each have different ‘whys’ for entering health care and we bring varying skillsets to the job.”
Samara proudly notes that her knowledge in health care management now includes project management, building an infection control unit (such as those erected for COVID-19), data analysis, and more thanks to the projects she worked on during her time in the program. “I recommend HMP to other college juniors,” she says. “The skills I’ve learned during my internship at Northwell Health are invaluable and everyone I’ve interacted with is very invested in seeing you develop and grow.”
Her program complete, Samara’s career plans have evolved. “Prior to the mentorship, I was focused solely on becoming a physician. However, in this program I was afforded the opportunity to work alongside actual health care administrators like my mentor, Nora. I realized administrators can improve health care at a systemic level. I hope to now become both a clinician and a future administrator.” We are excited for all that Samara will offer to the future of medicine as she returns to her studies this fall as a senior with a whole new perspective of what it means to work in healthcare.
Interested in the HMP internship? Join our Student Talent Network to stay up-to-date on the latest student news and resources, including our future plans for the program in 2022.
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Students explore health care careers virtually at the 2021 Spark! Challenge
Northwell Health’s Spark! Challenge: Healthcare Heroes, COVID Edition, has offered high school students an inside glimpse into health care careers each year since 2014 and this year was no different — except it was held virtually. The 2021 Spark! Challenge: Healthcare Heroes, COVID Edition, had 1,500 students from 48 schools across the tri-state area participate. The students interacted directly with Northwell team members for online educational career exploration sessions before attending a live virtual awards ceremony on April 15.
Students had the opportunity to participate in engaging, online educational sessions for 20 different healthcare career fields. One educational session, which profiled a career in Family Medicine, had students follow along with three case studies, taking patient vitals online and gaining an understanding of what goes into a strep test, as well as a COVID test. Some departments showed the proper way to put on and take off PPE.
And while fully transitioning this student event to be online, the Workforce Readiness team that hosts the Spark! Challenge saw an opportunity to make it even more impactful for students. “This year has been completely reinvented,” says Kathryn Graves, talent acquisition project manager on the Workforce Readiness team. “The word we used when planning for this year was flexibility. Whereas in the past students were limited to the one field trip they were matched to, this year students had 20 healthcare fields to choose from and learned about more than five careers each on average.”
After learning about these clinical and non-clinical professions, students chose one role to highlight, creating a poster and/or a video to celebrate the career, as well as to display what they’ve learned. Projects were then reviewed by Northwell judges and the winners were awarded a prize during the virtual awards ceremony.
During the virtual ceremony, students were able to view welcome messages from Northwell’s executive leadership, view and vote for their peers’ videos and posters, and attend a careers exhibit. This exhibit allowed students to learn about areas such as family medicine, the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, surgical careers, the Institute for Nursing, and Northwell’s Center for Learning and Innovation. Students even had the opportunity to meet our therapy dog Hazel over video.
After a full morning of interactive events, it was time for the highlight of the day: announcing the winners! Congratulations to the winners below and be sure to check out their amazing posters from this year’s event.
2021 Spark! Challenge Winners:
- Overall Poster Award – First Place: Valley Stream North High School
- Overall Poster Award – Second Place: John Bowne High School
- Overall Poster Award – Third Place: Hampton Bays High School
- Overall Video Award – First Place: Baldwin High School
- Overall Video Award – Second Place: Valley Stream North High School
- Overall Video Award – Third Place: William Floyd High School
- Overall Video Award – Honorable Mention: Sacred Heart Academy
- Rookie Award: East Rockaway High School
- Behind the Scene Heroes – Poster Award: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School
- Clinical & Non-Clinical Professional Heroes – Poster Award: Baldwin High School
- Frontline Heroes – NP, PA, & Family Medicine – Poster Award: Lindenhurst Sr. High School
- Frontline Heroes – Emergency Medicine – Poster Award: Thomas A. Edison CTE High School
- Employee/Facebook Favorite: Herricks High School & Kellenberg High School
- Student Favorite: Video: Tottenville High School & Poster: Lindenhurst High School
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730+ Nursing students go virtual for our 2021 Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase
Though this year’s Northwell Health Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase may have looked different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to educating and impacting future nursing careers was stronger than ever.
To ensure the safety of our team members, students and communities, the 2021 Nursing Showcase pivoted from our traditional in-person format to an exciting and engaging virtual event. But this wasn’t your typical zoom meeting – the more than 730 junior and senior nursing students from 50+ schools had a full day of interactive events to choose from!
Students used our virtual lobby to navigate through the day’s events.
The morning started in our auditoriums where students heard from senior leadership, including Northwell’s President and CEO Michael Dowling who had a candid conversation with four of Northwell’s nurse heroes. After learning about our culture of nursing excellence and discovering how they could prepare for their own career journeys, students attended panels to learn about our Nurse Externship Program and new graduate nursing careers including our Nurse Fellowship Program with live Q&A. Depending on their year of study, panels connected students with fellow nurses who had worked as externs over the summer or new nurses who had been in their shoes not long ago.
After the morning sessions, students had the opportunity to explore our virtual Careers Expo and Culture Center. In the Careers Expo, students could virtually chat one-on-one with nurses across 24 specialties at our booths. It was a unique opportunity to learn about specialties that aren’t taught in nursing school, such as Perioperative, Teleheath and Home Care, or to discover what it is like to work in areas such as Emergency, Critical Care, Pediatrics, Float, Case Management, Women’s Health, and many more.
But at Northwell, we know a great nursing career goes beyond just specialty. In the Culture Center, students could see what makes Northwell Health unique – and why we’ve been ranked on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list. Here nursing students could explore 13 booths, connecting with Northwell team members to learn about the offerings of our Institute for Nursing, our commitment to diversity, inclusion and health equity, employee wellness, our Magnet© journey and more through presentations, live interactive trivia, videos and more.
And that’s not all! Throughout the afternoon, students were able to attend 11 Breakout Sessions. These optional sessions offered an in-depth look at some of our specialties such as the Perioperative Information Session, informed students how to optimize their resume and interview tips from our recruiters, or explored nursing career journeys from bedside nurse to leadership and more. Our final Breakout Sessions of the day also gave students the unique chance to earn Contact Hours. Through a partnership with our Institute for Nursing team, juniors and seniors alike could earn credits for attending the Navigating as a New Graduate Nurse or Caring through COVID-19 including Emergencies and Codes sessions.
Throughout the day students could also interact with other elements in within the platform. Whether it was visiting our robust video library to watch our team members talk about what it is like to work at Northwell or bringing Northwell leadership directly into their home through augmented reality, there were so many ways to explore nursing within our event. And every action helped students earn points as they competed to win prizes, including gift cards. Additionally, students could submit their photo to our virtual mosaic of attendees – a way to be together despite the unprecedented circumstances.
No matter what the next year holds, at Northwell Health we know the future of nursing shines bright!
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The best healthcare careers for your personality type
When it comes to students deciding on what career to pursue, the amount of choices can seem daunting. With that in mind, psychologist Dr. John L. Holland invented a set of personality types. These types, known as Holland Codes, work under the belief that people work best in an environment where they enjoy their tasks and might provide some insight into the best career option for you.
As the largest private employer in New York State, Northwell Health has a diverse selection of careers for every path and personality type. We listed the different Holland Code personality types alongside the healthcare careers that might best fit each.
Take the Holland Code assessment and see which personality type you are by clicking here and then match your results to the careers below.
Realistic Holland Code: The Builders
Those who fall under the realistic interest profile are classified as builders. These individuals tend to be practical, sensible and mechanical, while enjoying hands-on tasks that are concrete or fixed such as building, repairing or using machines. Independent work is preferred and they tend to be action-based while focusing on solutions.
Healthcare careers for builders may include:
- Environmental Services
- Materials Management
- Engineering and Mechanical Services
- Security
- Radiology
Investigative Holland Code: The Thinkers
If you have an investigative interest profile, you’re classified as a thinker. Thinkers are analytical and scientific, preferring to work with research, exploration and intellectual pursuits. These individuals may prefer to work with theories, enjoying gaining knowledge and exploring the possibilities in the world.
Healthcare careers for thinkers may include:
- Medical Research
- Clinical Laboratory
- PeriOperative Services (Surgical Technologists, Operating Room Nurses and Surgeons)
- Teleheath
- Information Technology
- Pharmacy
- Clinical Informatics
Artistic Holland Code: The Creators
Those who identify with having an artistic interest profile are known as creators. Creators usually prefer to work in an unstructured environment where they have the freedom to come up with new ideas and expressive work. These individuals thrive in flexible jobs without much repetition or routine and they can use their imagination to influence their work.
Healthcare careers for creators may include:
- Marketing and Communications
- Video and Photography
- Culinary
- Music Therapy
- Art Therapy
Social Holland Code: The Helpers
Individuals who identify as having a social interest profile are known as helpers. Helpers are supportive and healing in nature, enjoying teaching and working in collaborative work environments. They enjoy working with people and being helpful, whether it’s through service or education.
Healthcare careers for helpers may include:
- Nursing and Nursing Support
- Child Life Services
- Social Work
- Advanced Clinical Providers
- Rehabilitation
Conventional Holland Code: The Organizers
If you identify as having a conventional interest profile, you’re known as an organizer. These individuals tend to thrive in methodical and procedural work where they find success with their accuracy and precision. They’re detail-oriented and enjoy working with data and numbers in a systemic approach.
Healthcare careers for organizers may include:
- Finance
- Administration
- Human Resources
- Revenue Cycle
- Clerical
Enterprising Holland Code: The Persuaders
Those who find they relate to an enterprising interest profile are known as persuaders. Persuaders thrive in a competitive environment where they feel their work is able to influence process. They are ambitious and unafraid to take risks while enjoying strategizing and being in positions of leadership.
Healthcare careers for persuaders may include:
- Management
- Operations
- Business Development
- Law
- Public Relations
While the Holland Codes are a great starting point for students to explore careers, it’s important to remember that you may be a combination of more than one interest profile. To further explore all the career opportunities that exist in healthcare, join our Student Talent Community today!
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Meet the winners of this year’s Spark! Challenge
Northwell Health’s Spark! Challenge is an annual program for high school students across the New York area that brings together educators, schools and lots of passionate Northwell team members. Students who participate in the Spark! Challenge have the opportunity to learn about careers directly from our team members, igniting their spark for healthcare careers. The Spark! Challenge plays a vital role in helping reach, engage and inspire tomorrow’s healthcare leaders.
With this year’s Spark! Challenge bigger than ever, approximately 1,000 students from more than 50 schools participated in hands-on site visits with Northwell team members across more than 81 departments, hospitals and facilities to have a immersive learning experience about healthcare careers. After their Northwell site visit, students are given the challenge to create a poster featuring one healthcare career they learned about and then present on that career as a team.
Meet the winners from this year’s poster competition below!
First Place: John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore-Merrick
The students from John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore-Merrick visited the trauma team at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and learned about an electroencephalogram (EEG) and how placement of sensors on the head produces outputs. They also met patients who have experienced head trauma, including one patient who has a 3-D printed skull. Students then visited the morgue to learn about the brain post-mortem.
After meeting with the team, the students chose to have their poster focus on the child life specialists who help make pediatric patients more comfortable during their hospital visit.
Second Place: Valley Stream South High School
When the students from Valley Stream South High School visited the Department of Family Medicine, they were presented with four simulated cases in Family Medicine. Working together as a team, students had to learn and decide how to care for patients such as a pediatric child in urgent care with a sore throat and an elderly patient who needed an ultrasound. Through these simulations, students left with a better understanding of the variety of cases a Family Medicine care team might see in one day.
These students chose to highlight doctors in their poster and showcase the diverse care they deliver to patients.
Third Place: Baldwin High School
Baldwin High School students spent the day with Northwell’s Corporate Business Development team to discover healthcare careers within business strategy. During the field trip, students were presented with the challenge to form a capital cost estimate for a physician practice based on an outline of a practice assessment. Using a previous example, the students worked through the capital process with a defined budget to discover how business strategy is used to improve the care our patients receive.
Their poster focused on the role of a practice transitioner who is using their knowledge to implement improvements in our practices.
Honorable Mention: Patchogue-Medford High School
Students at Patchogue-Medford High School learned that it takes talent to fill our health system with the right people in the right roles. After meeting with the Talent Acquisition team, they learned how to find candidates who embody the Northwell values from thousands of applicants through attracting, vetting and hiring candidates.
Choosing to highlight a healthcare recruiter, they wanted to showcase the integral role that Talent Acquisition plays in identifying top candidates who are “Made for this.”
Facebook Favorite: Great Neck South High School
Great Neck South High School students traveled to LIJ Forest Hills Hospital to learn about the innovation with healthcare. Arriving at the hospital, students took part in an interactive exercise with the Assistant Director of Environment of Care Compliance/Safety before being split into groups to learn about the different areas of care. The teams learned about safe patient handling, MRI Safety, Operating Room/Delivery Room, basic life support, and wound care. The day concluded through sharing the team’s career journeys.
For their poster, the students chose to highlight the career of an obstetrician and gynecologist. Winning the Facebook Favorite award means that their poster was voted on by hundreds of Northwell team members!
Rookie Poster Award: Plainedge High School
Plainview Hospital hosted the Plainedge High School students and taught them about all of the careers that exist within our Imaging Departments. After attending a lecture and receiving a tour, the students then scrubbed into a procedure in interventional radiology, where they used the ultrasound machines and spoke with team members.
Their poster showcased the role a nuclear radiologist plays within our hospital to help diagnose and treat patients.
Watch our video announcement of the winners below!
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Nursing Students get a Golden Ticket to Northwell’s Nursing Showcase
The future of nursing is golden at the Northwell’s Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase! This year, more than 630 junior and senior nursing students from 50+ colleges attended to learn about Northwell’s nursing careers and culture. Our invitation-only event at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, NY is an important way to identify and engage with nursing students for New York State’s largest health system.
At the Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase, students attended presentations from Northwell’s nursing leadership to hear about our careers including our externships and fellowships, advanced careers such as becoming a nurse practitioner and the future of nursing at Northwell . Panel sessions were also held featuring previous nurse externs and current team members to allow students to ask questions and hear about their experiences.
In addition to the panels and presentations, students explored the Nursing Careers Expo and Culture Center where they could meet and interact with our registered nurses and nursing leaders and learn what makes Northwell’s culture and careers so unique. Here students also had the chance to learn about more than 23 specialties in nursing such as PeriOperative, Emergency, Critical Care, Pediatrics, Home Care, Case Management, TeleHealth, Mother/Baby and many more.
Don’t miss this inside look at what it’s like to attend the Northwell Golden Ticket Nursing Showcase in our video recap:
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Investing in the future of nursing with our Nurse Extern Program
Our Nurse Extern Program is providing junior BSN students with a unique experience at the bedside within a Northwell Health hospital. Every summer, selected nursing students have the opportunity to participate in our rewarding eight-week paid program. Guided by preceptors, these future nurses develop a strong skill set all while strengthening their passion for delivering care.
This unique experience is a powerful stepping stone for nursing students. Nurse externs spend their program shadowing nurses to see first-hand what it’s like to work in a hospital setting. By introducing them to specialties they won’t see in their clinical rotations, such as the operating room, students enter their senior year with more confidence and a better understanding of which specialty they want to develop their career in.
Beyond learning how to deliver bedside care, students participate in educational in-services presented by our nurse educators and leadership, while building lasting relationships with their peers. Externs also work together to complete a final project to present to nursing leadership at the end of their program.
The 2019 program hosted 91 nurse externs at 15 hospitals in over seven specialties, a 30% increase in nurse externs since 2018.With the growth of our program, more students are able to gain an invaluable foundation to build their nursing career.
Are you Made for the future of nursing? Learn more about our Nurse Extern Program here!
Hear from 2019’s summer Nurse Externs on why they loved our Nurse Extern Program:
Amanda Steinberg,
University of Michigan
“Not only did Northwell’s externship program provide me with the tools to enhance essential nursing skills, but it also allowed me to understand that the smallest act of caring is the true vulnerability of nursing.”
Caroline Turansky,
Boston College
“This summer I had the opportunity to work as an extern in the OR. In just eight short weeks, I learned more than I ever thought possible through both my time on the floor and educational sessions. Every aspect of this program fostered my growth as a nursing student, and it was truly an invaluable experience.”
Chris Peppe,
St. Joseph’s College
“My externship was the most informative eight weeks of nursing knowledge and practice that I have experienced thus far in my career. The Southside Hospital nurse educators and staff provided me with education, engaging experiences and knowledge that I will utilize throughout my entire nursing career.”
Dana Galgano,
Villanova University
“This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. You not only gain experience in both clinical practice and critical thinking, but you also get to form a relationship with your preceptor who quickly becomes an incredible mentor and role model. I was able to learn the intricate inner workings of what life is like being a bedside nurse on the floor.”
Eizle Bianca Salonga,
Molloy College
“My experience in the OR externship at Long Island Jewish Medical Centeris truly unforgettable. The action I’ve seen, the knowledge I’ve gained, and the confidence I developed is unparalleled to all my clinical rotations combined. The staff also welcomed me with open arms since day one and I truly felt like I was a part of the team.”
Erin Pasquale,
Villanova University
“My experience at Zucker Hillside Hospital as a nurse extern was extremely rewarding. This program has given me added confidence in my nursing abilities as I enter my senior year at Villanova University.”
Hannah Giannico,
SUNY Farmingdale
“This was an amazing opportunity that will not be forgotten. Every day I learned something new as I worked hands-on with my preceptor. I gained so much knowledge, critical thinking skills, and imperative lessons that will help me excel as a future registered nurse.”
Jaime Lambrinon,
Sacred Heart University
“The Nurse Extern Program not only provided me with the tools to succeed but guided me along the way. I received hands-on experience, which allowed me to utilize the skills I’ve learned with the support from an amazing preceptor. I will take this with me throughout my nursing career.”
Jessica Koch,
Mount Saint Mary College
“My experience this summer boosted my confidence and provided me with countless learning opportunities. As I progressed through my eight weeks I adapted, gained confidence and saw what nursing really is. This experience introduced me to an amazing hospital staff who enhanced my clinical skills.”
Jillian Arrigan,
Molloy College
“My externship will forever have an impact on the way I approach my career in nursing. For eight weeks in the Pediatric ICU I worked alongside the most welcoming preceptors. Not only has this increased my clinical and practical experience and confidence, but it has shown me the true importance of caring for families, in both good times and in bad.”
Katie Campilii,
Fairfield University
“This program not only made me a better nurse but a better person. With the entire staff wanting to help and teach you everything they know. I am so lucky I was able to spend this summer working in the emergency program at Northern Westchester Hospital.”
Mackenzie Nyitray,
Saint Joseph’s College
“The externship program allowed me to further build up my nursing skills. It taught me time management and efficiency. This program proved to me why I love nursing so much. Getting to do what I love at an earlier stage encouraged me to keep learning and do my best for the people I will caring for in the future.”
Nicholas Whelan,
Towson University
“The externship allowed me to build myself as a professional and prepare for employment following graduation. I have this externship to thank for skills I was able to develop this summer, and hope to return to Northwell as a registered nurse.”
Nikki Mangialino,
Molloy College
“I had an amazing opportunity as an extern working with fantastic nurses in the PACU. This program has helped me gain lifelong knowledge and confidence in my skills, how I care for my patients, and my communication with other healthcare professionals. I feel so much more confident entering my senior year of nursing school.”
Selena Sabu,
Adelphi University
“Working as an extern in the OR I got to learn what it was like to connect with patients and help them stay relaxed during their procedures. The staff was super welcoming and made my learning experience so great. I felt confident walking away with the knowledge I’ve gained and the new skills I’ve learned. ”
Check out some of our nurse externs on location:
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Develop cutting-edge applications in Software Engineering Internship
Do you have an insatiable curiosity for new ideas and building innovative software? Then you might be Made for Northwell Health’s Software Engineering Internship!
This year Northwell launched a new Software Engineering Internship where our interns worked at the forefront of building new technology for healthcare as part of the Northwell Health Information Technology Innovation Center. With over 400 applicants, five top candidates with varied skill sets were selected to form our first elite summer cohort.
Our summer interns had the opportunity use the latest technologies to build advanced modern software that will deliver real value to our patients, clinicians and organization. Operating like a startup, the team incubated new ideas and worked collaboratively in an agile environment like a commercial software development team.
Joining the team of software engineers, product managers and UX designers, our interns are bringing new ideas to life with the goal of having a pilot-ready software for deployment at our hospitals at the end of their internship. Each intern was mentored by a software engineer to ensure their success throughout the summer.
During their first week, interns attended a Coding Boot Camp, followed by the kick-off of two full stack projects. After presentations from stakeholders outlining important requirements, the interns were off and running in two small teams creating architecture to review with their mentors, running daily stand-up meetings and presenting to stakeholders for feedback.
While delivering projects, students learned about cutting edge technologies and work with the latest development methodologies and frameworks, including self-organizing to create their own development boards and run their own Scrum stand-ups. “The working environment is great,” says Xuliang Sun, a dual Masters student at Carnegie Mellon studying Civil Engineering and Technology Innovation Management. “We work in an open space and our mentors are there to help us. We can easily jump into the huddle room and whiteboard the solution together.”
Nic Lorenzen, senior development lead for the Innovation Software Engineering team believes in giving interns the opportunity to push their comfort zone. He adds, “By the end of summer, they will have created continuous deployment pipelines that push out Microsoft Azure function microservice backends, progressive reactive front end applications and leveraged SignalR for real-time communication. Our interns won’t just ship code like every intern yearns to do; they will ship clean, maintainable code that they can be proud of and we can use and build off of for years to come.”
Ready to gain experience for your future career? Applications are now open!
Let’s hear what our interns have to say about their summer so far:
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My experience in the HMP internship that led to a full-time job after college graduation
Written by: Megan McKenna, Georgetown University, Healthcare Management Program Summer Associate 19′
When I went off to college, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to be. I was going to be a doctor. However, I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me, so I pursued other interests in government and American studies. When it came time to start looking for a job the summer after my sophomore year, I took one with a home healthcare company, never expecting for it to start me down a path of healthcare administration. I found that I really enjoyed working with clinicians in a collaborative space to solve problems and help patients. I wanted to learn more about what it would mean to have a non-clinical career in healthcare, so I applied to the Healthcare Management Program (HMP) Internship at Northwell Health. I was ecstatic when I got the call that I had been offered a position as an HMP 2019 summer associate.
This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work at Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, NY. When I arrived for my first day, I didn’t know what to expect. I was excited and a little bit nervous – I didn’t know the first thing about hospital administration. When I found out that I would be working in the Emergency Department, I was really excited to be in a fast-paced and dynamic department that plays such a critical role in the hospital and the community.
During my time at Phelps, I had the opportunity to develop skills in project management, data analytics and learn about hospital operations. I was able to build relationships with clinicians and administrators who were really generous with their time and were invested in helping me learn and grow. Everyone was very welcoming and quickly I felt like I was a valued member of the team. Through my projects, I saw firsthand the complexities of hospital operations and the inspiring collaborative work that is essential not only to keep hospitals running, but also to power the entire health system.
Coming into this program, I wanted to be able to explore my interest in healthcare administration because it is not something that I study in school, but I was able to accomplish so much more than that. Not only has this program has allowed me to solidify my interest in healthcare and see the immense opportunity that there is in this field, but I was able to meet inspiring leaders, learn from my peers, and take on new challenges.
Megan has been offered and accepted a full-time position in the Management Associate Program as an Associate at Lenox Hill Hospital once she graduates from Georgetown University in May.
Submit your resume to become a Summer Associate in the 2020 Healthcare Management Program Internship.
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Photo: Joshua is on the left. As a computer science student at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, I began searching for a summer internship opportunity where I could enhance and apply my software engineering skills. I was excited when I found out that Northwell wanted to have an interview with me for the Software Engineering internship. While many in the tech field lust after the likes of Google and Facebook, or dream of working for the next big startup and IPO, the chance to use my skills on tangible problems in healthcare, to positively impact the lives of clinicians and patients was exactly what I was looking for. During the interview with the Northwell Emerging Technology & Innovation (NETI) team they explained that they are tasked with and given the freedom to find and explore innovative solutions to the most pressing problems in healthcare, primarily through technology and software solutions. When I was offered the internship, I made one of the soundest decisions of my young career by saying yes. When I started the internship, I was immersed into a week-long extensive orientation and acquainted with the Nora Standalone App, my project for the summer. The Nora Standalone App was envisioned to allow clinicians quicker and easier, secure mobile-based access to patient’s clinical results, reducing the burden and complexity of electronic medical records using modern, and cutting edge technologies. Placed entirely under the internship program, the intern as a whole would own the project from inception to pilot, an unbelievably unique and valuable experience for an intern. Starting my second week, I had the chance to participate in every part of the software process, beginning with sprint planning and writing user stories. I wrote both back-end and front-end code, as well as unit and integration testing. Skilled and helpful software engineers were available at every step of the process, encouraging best practices, helping me to resolve blocking issues, and suggesting ways to write cleaner code. I particularly enjoyed the weekly code reviews, which packed nearly limitless amounts of useful tips into less than an hour’s worth of time. From our comfortable and modern office conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, we made visits to several Northwell facilities. I saw clinicians in action at the Lenox Health Greenwich Village, operators taking 911 calls at the Center for Emergency Management and nurses and doctors checking in on patients at Northwell’s eICU hub in Syosset, NY. Frequent Lunch and Learn sessions also afforded me the valuable opportunity to hear from leadership. These engaging and collaborative discussions allowed me to ask questions, make professional connections, and present my work. I could not have asked for a better internship experience. I had the chance to own my own project, touching every part of the software development process, all while learning more about the organization and healthcare. The incredible experience I had with the NETI team has opened my eyes to the boundless opportunities open to software engineers at Northwell. I think it is safe to say that Northwell should absolutely should be on your list for the next internship or job search!
A Summer with Northwell – My Journey in the Software Engineering Internship Program
Written by: Joshua Zeitlinger, Software Engineer Intern, Stevens Institute of Technology
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The 2019 Healthcare Management Program Internship Experience
When 34 Summer Associates started their first day at orientation in June of their 10 week Healthcare Management Program Internship, they didn’t realize how impactful their experiences this summer would be. Coming from all over the nation, junior college students joined Northwell to work across 23 hospitals, service lines and departments to be immersed into the day to day operations of a healthcare administrator. Mentored by Northwell team members and leaders, each Summer Associate had an unforgettable experience.
Working closely with their assigned mentor, our Summer Associates had the opportunity to work on real, meaningful projects that had a major impact on Northwell’s business operations. Projects that they were then able to present out to their fellow Summer Associates, Northwell leaders and executives during presentations at the end of their 10 weeks. This summer, over 100 projects were worked on by our Summer Associates, some examples include:
- OR turnover time analysis through processing mapping and SWOT analysis to implement process improvement ideas in the operating room.
- Helping to implement a new registration workflow for a new facility that is opening.
- Designing and implementing a brand-new, more efficient patient tracking system to reduce ambiguity of the patient progress and location and to minimize any delays in turnaround time between cases.
- Designing a scorecard to analyze EMS vs walk-in volume, EMS agencies who bring in the most patients, cardiac arrest, trauma and stroke patients, triage levels, and contribution margins in the Emergency Department.
- Compiling data to track the availability of beds in order to improve patient flow and communication by developing an automated dashboard.
- Helping to prepare for Joint Commission Certification surveys.
- Staffing analysis to determine the need to increase staff due to the opening of a new unit or service.
- Determining the idle bed time- time from when a patient has been cleared for discharge, to when the patient leaves their room- by looking at team member process efficiency.
Summer Associates also had the opportunity to participate in weekly Educational Sessions at various hospitals and service lines and team building. This summer they also attended the Nurses Night Yankee game along with Northwell nurses, had a team building session at the beach where they played Northwell trivia and beach games and cooked meals at the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island to feed families with sick children and give back to the community.
The 10 week experience was more than an internship, it was a stepping stone to help junior college students realize their full potential and career opportunities after graduating from college. Don’t just take our word for it, hear from some of our 2019 Summer Associates!
“The HMP has helped a lost Biology major find his way and believe in himself for his future career. This program is truly phenomenal. I have made connections that I believe will last throughout my entire career.”
“My 10-weeks at the Cancer Service Line flew by! From day one, I was given meaningful projects and assignments that had a direct impact on the patient experience. The Healthcare Management Program provided me the opportunity to explore Northwell’s extensive health system while also being a valued member of the team at my own site. I could not have asked for a better internship experience!”
“The Healthcare Management Program was an entirely unique internship that provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. From day one I was seen as a valued member of my team and given meaningful projects that had a tangible impact on the organization. Not only was I able to grow my professional and technical skillset, but I was able to form genuine relationships with my fellow interns that will last far longer than these 10 weeks!”
“The Healthcare Management Program was an incredible experience during which I had the opportunity to get hands-on project management experience, to build relationships with clinicians and administrative leaders, and learn something new every day about what it means to be a healthcare administrator. I was empowered to do meaningful work to make patient care better and better every day and this internship has inspired me to pursue a career in healthcare administration.”
“This internship is like no other. The amount I learned regarding hospital management and operations over these past 10 weeks is exceptional, and I have gained exposure that has strengthened my leadership skills.”
“The HMP internship gave me first hand insight into what the field of hospital administration looks like. I got a real feel for what healthcare management is and I can’t wait to continue my path in this field thanks to the HMP!”
“This summer has been a very rewarding experience for me. I was able to touch almost every aspect of healthcare administration, and my mentors were sure to give me exposure to whatever I was interested in.”
Unbelievable summer, great experience, great environment, best team! I learned so much this summer and grew so much professionally that I can confidently say I want to go into healthcare for sure as a result of this program.”
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My summer as a Hospitality in Healthcare intern
Written by: Valerie Pelling, High Point University Graduate ‘19
I was introduced to playing sports from a young age. Playing soccer, lacrosse and everything in between, I saw my fair share of podiatrists, neurologists, and orthopedists for sports related injuries that were often interrupting my athletic career. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, dealing with these injuries and seeing numerous doctors would lead me to my future career path.
In 2015, I headed off to college to major in Business Administration and to play Division 1 Lacrosse at High Point University. While my academics were going well, I faced a season-ending injury in my sophomore year. I was in need of ACL reconstructive surgery which was a tough pill to swallow, considering I would be out for the next 10 months!
While working with physical therapists to get back on the field, it gradually dawned on me that I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. With this new passion, I began volunteering at a local hospital. I connected connecting with patients by conducting surveys on how they felt about their hospital visit. My time spent interacting with patients taught me about the importance of customer service and empathy, which are necessary skills in order to work in this field.
Fast-forward to 2019 when the Hospitality in Healthcare Internship Program at Northwell jumped out at me. I was ecstatic about the opportunity to be a part of the patient experience team in the system that repeatedly got me back on my feet. The hospitality internship has opened my eyes to how Northwell truly differentiates themselves from other healthcare systems. The thought and care that goes into improving its patient and customer experience is impressive and the culture the organization prides itself on is sincere and one of a kind.
My experience at Patient Access Services (PAS), a centralized call center for patients and providers, taught me the importance of respect, customer service, and communication skills. PAS is the patient’s first impression for certain practices, and the thoughtfulness and empathy that the customer service agents provide is the reason why Northwell is so great. From the point of view of a long time Northwell patient, any facility that is associated with the Northwell name gives the greatest quality of care. They treat everyone as if they are family, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to work alongside the personnel who make the Northwell patient experience so remarkable.
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Building blocks of success in Healthcare Management Program Internship
This summer in the Healthcare Management Program (HMP), 34 summer associates will work with Northwell Health professionals across and service lines such as Emergency Medicine, Health Solutions, Imaging and Cancer. These ambitious college juniors will work closely with their mentors over the next 10 weeks and contribute to operations, finance and patient experience projects while developing the foundation for a long-term career in healthcare.
The students are from schools across the country including Cornell University, University of Alabama, Colgate University, Binghamton University, University of North Carolina, and Hofstra University among others. They develop an understanding of healthcare administration through hands-on projects such as capital planning, throughput initiatives, utilization & costs effectiveness analysis, redesigning of hospital units, new facility process mapping, annual report creation and much more. Each associate has their own unique experience based on where they work while participating in a cohesive program.
Over the past few years, the program has grown and this summer is no exception. The success of the program has led to the number of summer associate positions increasing from 23 to 34, and by listening to the feedback from previous associates and their mentors, the program has also expanded from 8 to 10 weeks..
And the unique program goes beyond just these 10 weeks. At the end of the summer, interns are encouraged to apply for the HMP’s sister program, the Management Associate Program (MAP). This highly competitive two-year program gives new graduates the opportunity to enter healthcare administration after graduation. This year, approximately 80 percent of our MAP positions were filled by associates from the 2018 HMP class.
Hear from some of our 2019 HMP associates on what they’re most excited about this summer:
Jenna Pasternak,
Orthopedic Service Line
“I’m excited for the broad set of skills and to experience the breadth of Northwell as a health system. I’m also looking forward to working with the other interns because we have such different backgrounds.”
Shivana Seegolam,
Emergency Medicine Service Line
“I’m interested to learn the values of Northwell and I’m excited to see how the projects I get put on are able to help the long term goals of the health system.”
Brittany Steineke, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Jessica Dobkin, Northwell Health at Home, Janice Kim, CTS/Cardiology, and
Aarshia Jain, Cohen Children’s Medical Center
“The HMP internship program is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students. We’re excited to live together, work together, and grow together.”
Matthew Ventre,
Northwell Health Solutions
“I’m looking to get hands-on experience in healthcare management. Being able to start networking while in college is important, especially in a health system that is continuously expanding.”
Abraham Polakunnil,
System Operations
“There’s so many people that work in a hospital, from the secretary to financial officer and I’m excited to get to know everyone. It’s the people that make the culture in healthcare from the first moment they interact with a patient and impact that experience.”
Yash Sehgal, Orthopedic Service Line, Megan Jean Louis, Brooklyn Region-Maimonides, Alicia Golyski, Southside Hospital and Katherine Hegermiller, Peconic Bay Medical Center
“We are most excited to work with the team to help improve operations within our locations. It’s a unique opportunity to lean how healthcare administration collaborate with clinicians within a hospital to create a positive change.”
Chasin Mizrahi, CTS/Cardiology
“Having previously been a long-term patient with Northwell, I’m so excited to see the other side of the care I received. I’m hoping to use my experience and history as a patient at Lenox Hill Hospital to enact change and even further improve the patient experience.”
Nicholas Vasquez,
Zucker Hillside Hospital
“I’m excited to find how engineering tools and applications can be integrated at Northwell within operations. I want to get a full range to experiences to all the ways I can apply my major within healthcare.”
Achyut Dasgupta,
Southside Hospital
“As a biology major, I was left wondering which direction I’d go after school. I still don’t know, but I’m excited to see how my skill set can help in the background of a hospital within administration.”
Jeremy Holden, LIJ Valley Stream Hospital
“This is an amazing opportunity to grow professionally while making a positive impact on the lives of those who need healthcare.”
Cameron Boswell,
MEETH
“I’ve previously worked in clinical healthcare and now being able to see the other side of it, and see how administration can directly impact the patients, will give me a well-rounded look on how to best improve healthcare operations.”
Lindsey Feuerzeig, Imaging Service Line and Sherri Gormon, LIJ Forest Hills Hospital
“We’re looking forward to learning how daily operations impact care, and seeing how what they do every day can make patient care more accessible and effective.”
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2019 Spark! Challenge Awards Ceremony. And the winners are…
Last week, more than 900 people including Northwell team members, faculty and 11th and 12th grade high school students from Long Island, Staten Island, Westchester and New York City gathered to participate in the 5th annual Spark! Challenge Awards Ceremony.
The Spark! Challenge offers high school students a unique opportunity to join one of the 74 participating Northwell departments for a day in the fall and learn hands-on about clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers from our team members. After the students’ Spark! visit, they were asked to design a poster that represents the career they learned about. This year students learned about careers such as:
- Athletic Trainer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Clinical Laboratory Specialist
- Colorectal Surgeon
- Construction Project Manager
- Corporate Lawyer
- CRNA
- Hospital Executive Chef
- Medical Simulation Tech
- Paramedic
- Patient Experience Director
- Pharmacist
- Physician’s Assistant
- Research
- Talent Sourcing Specialist
- Ultrasound Technician
- And so much more!
During the spring Awards Ceremony, students gave a two-minute presentation to Northwell’s senior executives and answered questions on one career they learned about during their site visit. Students were also able to test out their surgical skills with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System Robot, which is used in Northwell’s operating rooms for minimally invasive surgeries, play with therapy dogs and try their hand in a life-size Operation game.
After presentations, judges deliberated and more than $30,000 in prizes were awarded to the winners for student posters and presentations. We’re proud to announce that the winners of this year’s Spark! Challenge are….
Poster Awards (picked prior to the Awards Ceremony)
- First Place: John F. Kennedy – Bellmore-Merrick- Glen Cove Hospital – Operating Room
- Second Place: General Douglas MacArthur High School- Corporate Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)
- Third Place: Valley Stream Central High School- Orzac Center for Rehabilitation
- Facebook Favorite Poster voted on by thousands of Northwell team members: Baldwin High School – LIJ Valley Stream – Operating Room
- Poster Rookie Award: Division Avenue High School, Corporate Legal Affairs
- Poster Honorable Mention: Stella K. Abraham High School - North Shore University Hospital – Pharmacy
- Poster Honorable Mention: Baldwin High School- Corporate Risk Management
Presentation Winners:
Presentation Award
- Baldwin High School- LIJ Valley Stream- Operating Room
- Tottenville High School- Staten Island University Hospital: South Campus
- Holy Trinity High School- Community Health
- Amityville High School - South Oaks Hospital
- Glen Cove High School- Plainview Hospital: Emergency Department
- Patchogue-Medford High School- Southside Hospital
Presentation Award- Honorable Mentions
- Uniondale High School- Stern Family Center for Rehabilitation
- Baldwin High School - Northwell Health Physician Partners: Urogynecology at Bay Shore
- Valley Stream South High School - Equity of Care
- Patchogue-Medford High School – Northwell Health Venue Development
- Massapequa High School - LIJ Medical Center: Emergency Department
- Bay Shore High School- Family Medicine Department
Congratulations to all this year’s winners! To see all careers and schools that participated click here.
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