Student Internship

Student Internship Program

Valley Healthcare System, Inc., formerly the Community Health Center of South Columbus, has served the Chattahoochee Valley since 1994 as a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center. We provide primary medical, dental, vision, behavioral health, pharmacy, outreach, and school-based healthcare services to residents of Columbus, Georgia, and surrounding rural communities. Our mission is to improve community health and well-being through accessible, compassionate, comprehensive care that reduces barriers and advances health equity. We partner with schools, community organizations, and public health agencies to address social determinants of health, including food insecurity and access to preventive care.

The Student Internship Program provides students with meaningful, hands-on learning experiences across Valley Healthcare System, Inc.'s various departments. The program is designed to introduce eligible students to healthcare, strengthen professional and workplace skills, expose them to career opportunities, and help them apply academic knowledge in a real-world healthcare setting.

Internship opportunities may be available in clinical and non-clinical departments throughout the organization. Placement is based on the student's educational background, interests, career goals, age, qualifications, program requirements, department capacity, and Valley Healthcare System, Inc.'s operational needs. Depending on placement, interns may gain exposure to healthcare administration, patient services, clinical operations, behavioral health, human resources, finance, pharmacy, quality improvement, community outreach, information technology, workforce development, and other areas.

All interns work under the supervision of an assigned employee of Valley Healthcare System, Inc. Each internship is structured to provide an educational experience while supporting the organization's mission and operations.

Essential duties and responsibilities will vary according to the intern's assigned department, educational program, age, experience, qualifications, and applicable laws and organizational policies. Intern responsibilities may include:

• Provide professional, courteous, and respectful service to patients, visitors, employees, and community partners.
• Assist the assigned department with appropriate day-to-day operations and special projects.
• Observe and participate in departmental workflows and processes as permitted.
• Assist with administrative responsibilities such as filing, scanning, copying, data entry, document preparation, mail distribution, organizing materials, and other general office functions.
• Assist with preparing spreadsheets, presentations, reports, educational materials, and other departmental documents.
• Support patient-satisfaction and community health-needs survey efforts, including distributing and collecting surveys, entering and organizing survey data, and helping summarize results into simple charts or reports for staff review.
• Support appropriate patient-service activities when assigned to a patient-facing department and properly trained.
• Assist with departmental projects, initiatives, programs, events, and organizational activities.
• Attend applicable meetings, training sessions, orientations, and educational opportunities.
• Learn and appropriately use organizational software, technology, and equipment as authorized.
• Assist with research, data collection, organization, and other projects as assigned.
• Collaborate professionally with employees from different departments and disciplines.
• Demonstrate effective communication, teamwork, dependability, initiative, and time-management skills.
• Maintain an organized and professional work environment.
• Ask questions and seek guidance from the assigned supervisor when clarification is needed.
• Follow all applicable departmental procedures and Valley Healthcare System, Inc. policies.
• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding patients, employees, organizational information, and business operations.
• Complete assignments and projects within established deadlines.
• Perform other appropriate internship-related duties as assigned by the department manager or supervisor.

Interns may not independently perform clinical procedures, diagnose or treat patients, provide medical advice, administer medications, access confidential information without authorization, or perform any activity outside the approved scope of their internship, training, credentials, or supervision.

Requirements:

• Must be at least 16 years of age.
• Must be a student enrolled in an accredited high school, technical college, college, university, graduate program, professional program, or other approved educational or workforce development program, as applicable to the internship.
• Basic computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Ability to learn new technology, software, and workplace processes.
• Ability to communicate professionally and respectfully.
• Ability to work independently with appropriate supervision and as part of a team.
• Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Demonstrated maturity, professionalism, dependability, and willingness to learn.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Must meet any additional educational, credentialing, health, safety, background, or departmental requirements applicable to the specific internship placement.
• Must complete Valley Healthcare System, Inc.'s required internship onboarding and orientation process.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Interest in healthcare, medicine, nursing, behavioral health, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, business, human resources, finance, information technology, healthcare administration, social services, communications, or another field related to the requested internship placement.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Previous school, volunteer, extracurricular, community service, or work experience demonstrating responsibility and dependability.
• Desire to learn about healthcare and serve the community.

Schedule and Hours:

Internship schedules will be established based on:

• Department operating hours and needs;
• Student availability;
• School or educational program requirements;
• Required internship or clinical hours;
• Availability of appropriate supervision; and
• Valley Healthcare System, Inc. policies.

Most internship opportunities occur during normal weekday business hours. Evening or weekend participation may be available or required for certain departments, programs, community events, or special activities. Interns are expected to maintain regular attendance and punctuality in accordance with their approved schedule.

Compliance: Adhere to company policies and procedures and all Federal, State and Local medical service requirements. To include HIPAA Privacy & Security.

Confidentiality (HIPAA): Every employee is required to sign a Pledge of Confidentiality. Failure to comply with our Pledge of Confidentiality can or will lead to immediate termination of employment. Confidentiality applies to a patient's Personal Health Information (PHI) and includes written, oral and electronic communications. Each employee has an obligation to maintain confidentiality after his or her employment/association with this facility ends.

Security (HIPAA): Every employee is required to protect his or her computer log-on and password. You must secure your work area prior to leaving it unattended for an extended period. You are required to log-off of your computer and secure your work area prior to leaving at the end of the day. If you have a responsibility for closing or locking files, securing equipment, or locking the building and you do not comply with these requirements, you will be subject to reprimand and/or termination based upon the infraction. We are required by law to protect patient privacy, identifiable patient information, and all properties containing such information.

Physical Requirements: Varied activities include standing, walking, reaching, bending and lifting. Employee must possess full range of body motion including the ability to assist or lift patients when necessary; occasional weight bearing to exceed 50 pounds, use of portable stretchers/wheelchairs encouraged. Employee must possess hand-eye coordination with normal range of vision and hearing abilities. This position frequently requires working under stressful conditions and frequently requires irregular work hours.

Environmental Working Conditions: This position includes both administrative and medical responsibilities. Employee is frequently exposed to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medical cleaning and processing solutions which my included ionizing radiation plus other elements common in a clinical environment.

This position is at risk for occupational exposure to blood and/or bodily fluids.