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I completed my internship with BHI Senior Living, serving as a Project Specialist Intern. BHI is a nonprofit organization focused on providing high-quality housing, healthcare, and support services to older adults through its network of continuing care retirement communities across Indiana.
Primary Responsibilities & Projects:
Primary Responsibilities & Projects:
Throughout my internship, I worked on a variety of impactful projects across BHI campuses, including:
Life Enrichment Program Revamp: I helped update and enhance the life enrichment program by creating new program guidelines, incorporating dimensions of health, and developing a new guidebook for staff use.
Lean Six Sigma Project Rollouts: I assisted in the coordination and tracking of Lean Six Sigma projects led by BHI Fellows, helping ensure they were on track and aligned with organizational goals.
Home Health Collaboration: I supported the home health organization partnered with BHI by organizing internal documents and converting training materials into standardized formats.
General Support: I also took on various tasks assigned by my supervisor, from research and data collection to planning and administrative support.
Learning Objectives & Outcomes:
Learning Objectives & Outcomes:
Here are the goals I outlined in my Internship Agreement and how I’ve met them:
Gain experience in healthcare project management - Met
I managed several active projects and collaborated with different departments, learning how to track progress, communicate with stakeholders, and meet deadlines.
Improve professional communication skills - Met
I worked closely with staff from various BHI communities and external partners, practicing clear, respectful, and timely communication in both email and in-person formats.
Understand the operations of a long-term care organization - Met
I gained insight into the daily workings of senior living, especially how different programs and departments contribute to resident care and satisfaction.
Apply classroom knowledge to real-world settings - Met
Many of the projects I worked on directly related to concepts I studied, especially in courses like Strategic Planning and Health Systems Management.
Personal Development:
Personal Development:
This internship helped me strengthen several key professional skills, including:
Project coordination and documentation
Team communication and collaboration
Problem-solving and adaptability
I’m proud of the direct contributions I made, especially my role in updating the life enrichment program and supporting Lean Six Sigma initiatives.
In terms of areas for growth, I would like to continue improving my confidence in leading meetings and presenting project updates to larger groups. I also want to build stronger skills in data analysis and reporting, which are increasingly important in healthcare leadership roles.
Academic Connections:
Academic Connections:
This experience clearly connected with multiple courses from my program:
H401: Strategic Planning in Healthcare Organizations helped me understand how to align initiatives with larger organizational goals—something I practiced when working on program improvements and Lean Six Sigma projects.
H345: Healthcare Operations Management taught me the importance of workflow efficiency and teamwork, which I experienced firsthand during my time with BHI.
One thing I found surprising was how much flexibility and autonomy I was given, which was different from some of the more structured practices we learn about in class. It taught me that while systems and plans are important, adaptability and interpersonal relationships are just as vital in real-world healthcare leadership.
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