Written by: Jill Hennessy 

(Care)ful not to B(Link): A Quick but Enriching Internship Experience

The weeks continue to fly by as I intern here at CareLink for the fall 2017 semester. Being an intern under Mike Walker has been a unique experience that has allowed me to synthesize the abundance of information I’ve received in the classroom and see how it is applied in the real world of healthcare. Additionally, working in the post-acute setting has introduced a whole new array of jargon and topics that have been helpful to learn.

When I’m not discussing Friar Athletics with Mike, I am most likely doing some research, reading up on local healthcare news, or working on organizing and evaluating quality data to report to the members. I have worked on research regarding Medicaid ACOs, LGBTQ resources for the elderly in RI, quality measures for Adult Day services, and other intriguing topics. I also put together a PowerPoint on BCBSRIs reports of the CMS quality measures they used to create their preferred SNF network and how CareLink members were rated in each category. Gathering this data allowed CareLink members to gauge how they are doing compared to the RI average and other members. Looking up information on these varying topics has exposed me to alternative payment models within Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, I’ve also identified helpful resources for elderly living in RI and realized how measuring quality is essential to successful delivery of care.

Another aspect of my internship was getting out of the office and attending external stakeholder meetings. I accompanied Mike to numerous EOHHS Medicaid Accountable Entity meetings and enjoyed learning about something I had no knowledge of prior to this experience. I’ve come to realize how unique the healthcare market is in RI and how the state is adapting to the various changes that are taking place within the system in terms of payment models and quality initiatives.

It is truly a pleasure to be an intern at CareLink. The culture of the organization is welcoming and amiable which will make it that much harder to say goodbye to everyone in December. However, I know that my experience at CareLink has set me up for success as I look to my graduation in May 2018 and apply for jobs out in the real world. There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am to Mike and all of the others at CareLink for giving me the opportunity to learn so much in only a few months. Thank you CareLink!