Applications sought for internship program

Through April 15 Health Center Foundation officials will be accepting applications for both their 2013 Summer Internship Program, as well as the 2013 Thayer Family Scholarship Programs.

The summer internship program is open for two undergraduate students that are pursuing careers in the health care field.

It will provide students with practical experience in the field, and over the course of the summer the students will shadow professionals in different departments, said Evie Parsons, assistant director for the Health Center Foundation.

They will learn out of departments at Sidney Regional Medical Center, as well as spend time at the Dorwart Cancer Center and in Cheyenne County Emergency Response Care.

There will also be two Thayer Family Scholarships offered in the amount of $1,000 each. “The scholarships will be awarded to students enrolled in a nursing, medical or clinical program who plan to seek employment in the Nebraska Panhandle or Northeast Colorado area upon completion of their academic program,” said Parsons.

According to Parsons, the Thayer Family Scholarship Program was started in 2003 by a father and son team consisting of doctors James E. and James D. Thayer.

“We decided it was just a good idea to provide financial support for those who may want to further their education in the health care field and hopefully want to stay in our area,” said Dr. James D. Thayer via Parsons’ account.

“We decided to enlist the help of the Health Center Foundation to be the administrator of the program. We also have a similar program in Morrill County,” he said.

While the scholarships help students financially pursue their goal of working in health care, the internship programs help students gain knowledgeable experience in the field that will help them in their further studies.

“The internship is a terrific opportunity for those students who are pursuing a career in the medical field to work in most departments at the hospital,” said Parsons. “Lasting for the greater part of the summer months, this internship helps students to better understand how each department supports the patient-centered care process.”

The programs are available to college students that are starting to delve into a health related career path.

“The candidate needs to have completed high school and be currently in college,” said the assistant director. “Typically the students are focused on their Bachelor’s of Science with a specific medical direction that may include rehabilitation, pre-med, nursing, laboratory sciences, etc.”

Parsons said that students from any college can apply and that the hope is students will continue to work in rural health care areas when they graduate.

“The program is not specific to any one college, and candidates who are strong students academically and active in volunteering and giving of their time to learn and promote health care are best suited for this opportunity,” she said.

“The hope is that with this internship the participant will gain a better understanding of a rural health care setting and choose to work in a rural setting once they are completed with their education.”

Both the scholarships and internships are provided by the combined effort of the Health Center Foundation and Sidney Regional Medical Center.

The Health Center Foundation was established in 1985, according to Parsons, and was founded and originally funded by donations from local attorney Paul Martin and numerous other local community members.

“Mr. Martin and others shared a common vision with the founding five Health Center Foundation Board Members that included Gordon Tobin, E.K. Yanney, Guy Bush, Francis Goodwin, and Thomas Kokjer,” according to Health Center Foundation officials. “Together, these community leaders recognized the need to assure that the people of Cheyenne County and the surrounding area would always have access to quality health care in a modern facility, staffed by professionals working together to provide the most complete health care available,” they said.

“Their vision inspired the development of Western Nebraska Health Systems, which include Sidney Regional Medical Center, Sidney Medical Associates and the Health Center Foundation.”

The Health Care Foundation’s mission statement reads, “to assure there is, and always will be, a strong financial foundation supporting our health care community.”

To apply for the internship positions or scholarships students can go to http://www.sidneyrmc.com and look under the Foundation tab, and click on Internships and Scholarships. There they can review the requirements and download the application. Or interested students can contact Evie Parsons at 308-254-5077.