Meet our Summer 2019 Interns

This summer, we’ve been lucky enough to have seven interns in our New York City Headquarters working across various departments. Keep reading to find out more about Gracyn, Joemma, Parker, Sal, Sophie, Taylor, and Wayne and their Unite Us experiences!

What drew you to Unite Us?

Parker: I found that Unite Us’ corporate mission aligned with my own personal philosophy on healthcare: the best form of healthcare is that which not only meets an individual’s medical needs but all their other needs as well.

Wayne: My mother was a social worker for over 30 years and dedicated her life to helping people access resources and opportunities in order to build better lives. Unite Us is a company with many of the values I grew up admiring in her.

Gracyn: Unite Us has a company culture that goes above and beyond what a normal work environment should be. Surrounding myself with people that are so focused on constant improvement and bettering health makes me feel like a part of something important.

Sal: I read a blog post from Steve Strauss, the Head of Network Development at Unite Us and my interviewer. He explained the impacts of the social determinants of health, which I read plenty of related literature in my classes. His nuanced explanation of it and how Unite Us fits in it all gave me an insight into the company. The idea seemed so simple, but the execution has been almost perfected here.

Taylor:The mission and values that the company has really drew me to Unite Us because they align with my values and made me want to be a part of Unite Us’ culture.

Sophie: I took a Community Psychology class this past semester where we mainly focused on how our country’s approach to health and healthcare is all too narrow. Often, the social determinants of health are forgotten, though they are some of the most important pieces to understand and fully resolve a person’s health issues. I was really excited when I learned about Unite Us because it is working to bridge that gap between healthcare and social care – looking at the person more wholly rather than a siloed perspective. The company’s mission aligned with what I had learned about in my class which only furthered my interest in Unite Us. I believe it will one day be an extremely pivotal company in the healthcare field, allowing people across the country to gain better and more efficient access to the resources they need.

What are you studying now?

Joemma: I am currently in a dual degree program pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Dartmouth and a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard focused on the business and policy of healthcare.

Parker: I am a dual-Masters’ student at the University of Oklahoma, pursuing an MBA and an MIT degree.

Gracyn: I am currently studying marketing and entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Social media marketing is what interests me most in the field.

Sal: I’m halfway through a master’s in health administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Taylor: I just graduated from Clemson University where I studied Business Management and I found a passion for Human Resources.

Wayne: I’m a dual major pursuing a Masters in Business Administration and Management Information Technology from the University of Oklahoma.

Sophie: I’m studying Marketing and Psychology and I’m hoping to learn more about exactly how those fields intertwine.

What are you hoping to learn about while you’re here?

Gracyn: So far, I have learned so much about growth and how a company can start from an idea and prosper into something much larger than that. Coming into this, I knew little about the healthcare industry itself, but after only a few weeks I have come to understand the impact that Unite Us has and the importance of moving from a system based on volume to one based on value.

Parker: My time with Unite Us as the finance and legal intern has provided me lots of opportunities to learn more about the financial planning and legal thought process that goes into running a business. I am hoping to combine this understanding with more experience in performing data analysis and strategic planning.

Joemma: This summer, I am excited to deepen my understanding around the delivery of social determinants of health and how technology can help support the delivery of social care.

Sal: I’m hoping to learn how to conduct market research, how to deliver pitches to these organizations, and have a deeper understanding of how health systems address social determinants of health. Currently, I’ve learned plenty about the Massachusetts DSRIP program, which is trying to move accountable care organizations in the Massachusetts market to value based care in order to save on overall cost of care.

How do you plan to apply what you learn to your career?

Sal: I’m learning about how organizations tackle social determinants of health, which can be vital in reducing total cost of care over an entire patient population base. This is the future of American healthcare as we move towards a more value-based care system. I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I plan to work in hospital administration. I’ll use what I learned at Unite Us to create programs to address those issues, and I’ll have a unique approach to it.

Joemma: I hope to continue to work in healthcare and technology after I graduate and I think the knowledge and skills I gain at Unite Us will be invaluable to achieving this goal.

Gracyn: Throughout this internship, I plan to learn about what factors lead to success in marketing and how to utilize different platforms to reach target populations. In doing so I can take what I have learned and use it to make a difference wherever I end up in my career.

Parker: Unite Us is in a stage of high growth and quick change, and through it all I have been encouraged to work hard, enjoy my time here, and think better. I believe these are three core values I can apply to my career no matter what industry or company I work in.

Taylor: This has been a hands on learning experience and everything that I have learned so far is so important. I will take my knowledge and new skills with me to continue and achieve success throughout my career path.

Sophie: I’m not sure what career path I intend to take, but Unite Us has given me invaluable experience working in a fun but hard-working environment where everyone shares the common goal of moving the company forward, and in turn, healthcare in general. I have learned how to adapt to an ever-changing agenda in order to meet our current needs, requiring quick thinking and versatility. I will absolutely take those values and skills with me wherever I end up later.

Wayne: No matter what sector of business I ultimately end up working in, success will be determined by business decisions. Watching a company go through a period of rapid growth and participation in important discussions is invaluable and a great opportunity to learn.

We’re so proud of this class of interns and how much they’ve already achieved in their short time here. We love watching you all learn and grow; we’ve learned a lot from you, too. We hope that each of you continues to follow your passions, surround yourself with people who support you, and accomplish all your personal and professional goals. Thank you for choosing Unite Us!

To learn more about working at Unite Us and see how you can get involved, click here:

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