It is an excellent place for an internship and a great place to work
When Riley Emery heard his classmate say great things about her internship at Perham Health, he realized that was where he also wanted to do his internship. Riley switched majors from nursing to healthcare administration late in his college career at Concordia College when he felt a call to leadership and was encouraged by classmates and professors to pursue it.
With the help of one of his professors, a six-month internship in healthcare administration was set up at Perham Health that integrates both hospital and long-term care facility experience.
We sat down with Riley partway through his internship to find out how it was going.
What did you hope to get out of your internship?
I wanted to gain practical experience and expand my knowledge overall of what it takes to manage a healthcare facility. Getting hospital and long-term care experience in one place is unique. I also wanted to learn more about finance and gain skills and knowledge to take to my first job.
I wanted to be where I could grow but also offer them something.
What have you been able to do so far?
I have met and interviewed all the department heads and then scheduled shadowing opportunities with them. It was a great, valuable experience to learn what the culture is like and how each department impacts the overall organization and the care it provides.
So far, I have been able to rotate through finance, human resources, and patient services departments. I attend board meetings and clinical meetings. I have been able to follow the CEO, and I’ve gotten to see a birth, experience surgery, ride in the ambulance; things you wouldn’t get to do in a bigger city hospital setting.
Is your internship meeting your expectations?
Yes! I am so fortunate to have such a good group. Culture is such a big thing. So, when it comes to culture, it is beyond what I could have imagined. Also, everyone here wants me to get as much exposure as possible. I often hear, ‘Of course you can do that.’ And that’s how I am as a student and a person; I am always trying to put myself in situations where I can grow.
I would definitely do the internship again and recommend others do it. The organization is concerned that I am growing and learning. I’m always doing something. It’s driving me to fill that knowledge gap before entering the workforce.
What are your thoughts about Perham Health?
The first thing about Perham Health is that they’re patient-care centered, which follows their mission statement. Everything they do revolves around giving the best care to patients.
The culture towards the employees is something that they do very well. They care about their employees.
It comes down to always doing the right thing ethically and being authentic. It’s the little things that Perham Health does that make it a very culture-driven, patient-driven, genuine organization.
I wear my Perham Health logo wear proudly. When I wear it around town, you can see their impact on the community. People approach me and say, ‘Oh, you work for Perham Health? That’s awesome.’
Everybody I talk to always has the best things to say, whether a patient or an employee, and it makes me think it’s a special place.
Is there anything else you want to add about your internship at Perham Health?
As I do my interviews, I keep hearing about Perham Health’s impact on the community’s people and employees. I think that’s such a wonderful thing.
I am thankful for Chuck (CEO) and the leadership team. My experience here has given me a good model for how I would want to run an organization.
About interning at Perham Health
Perham Health proudly offers job shadowing, student opportunities, and internships as a guide to help you achieve your career goals. Apply for a tailored experience that fits your interests – clinical and non-clinical positions are available.
If you’re interested in interning at Perham Health, learn more online at www.perhamhealth.org/careers/ or call 218-347-1311.
Riley Emery, Intern
Perham Health and Perham Living
About Perham Health
Perham Health is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital with three primary care clinics, a 96-bed nursing home, home health care agency, adult day services, memory care assisted living, and senior housing. The medical staff consists of 24 physicians, a nurse midwife, 14 advance practice clinicians, and three chiropractors. Visit perhamhealth.org to learn more.
Riley, come join us at the Patient Family Partnership Council. It is another way to see how Perham Health partners with patients and their families. We meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 12 noon.