Intern program helps launch careers in Chicago health IT

 
Developing the right skills to land a job in the expanding field of health information technology (HIT) can be nearly impossible obstacle to get your foot in the door.
 
Over the past two years, CHITREC has considered part of its duty to help build a workforce through its internship program, which offers a comprehensive and pragmatic view into the dynamic world of HIT and the Meaningful Use of electronic health records (EHR).

“I was humbled right away, after learning about CHITREC’s mission,” said Aarthi Susarla, a current intern in EHR implementation. “Guiding these physicians toward Meaningful Use and walking them through the process is extremely rewarding.”

Susarla and several other interns have come to us through a partnership with Moraine Valley Community College Health Information Technology certificate program, based in nearby Palos Hills. Moraine Valley’s program provides training courses to students with backgrounds in health care and information technology to support the adoption of EHR systems, and to provide implementation skills across an EHR practice setting.
 
“The program at Moraine Valley gave me the opportunity to intern at CHITREC,” said Abimbola Adeleke, a program graduate and former CHITREC intern. “And that, in turn, led to my job.”  

Adeleke now works with Currence Physician Solutions, a local consulting group that provides financial and technology services for medical practices.
CHITREC’s internships focus in three project areas: Research & Development, Outreach & Education, and HIT. The goal is to provide students with an opportunity to explore different entry points into using EHRs.

“Our interns are hired to work with either CHITREC or our partners at the Alliance of Chicago,” said Rochelle Tapping, the CHITREC internship coordinator. “There are various sponsors within each group who seek interns to help them with their daily activities, including provider support, outreach, education and marketing.”
 
Even in a small setting of team members, Tapping said, integrating interns in all facets of CHITREC helps the organization grow.
 
“Interns are a critical part of the CHITREC team, and we rely on them to bring their expertise to our group,” Tapping said. “Interns give us the opportunity to bring in talented individuals who can contribute greatly to our goals and mission while giving them the much-needed exposure to get them started in a career in HIT and Health Information Management.”
 
CHITREC internships are open to offer individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and education. We welcome individuals that are intelligent, motivated and passionate about the desire to learn and grow in the HIT arena. For more information, visit our website.