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Press Releases
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Press ReleaseNursing Students 'Graduate' from Independence Blue Cross Internship ProgramPhiladelphia, PA - August 2, 2007 - Inserting IVs, administering medications and checking blood pressure are all in a day’s (and night’s) work for a nurse. But more and more, it helps if a nurse understands the business side of health care as well as the bedside. Today, 21 nursing students complete Independence Blue Cross’s (IBC) annual eight-week nursing internship, which offers students a rare and valuable behind-the-scenes look at the managed health care industry. IBC, which employs about 500 nurses to work with its health plans and their members, serves as a real-world learning laboratory to help its summer-intern nursing students bridge the gap between the clinical materials taught in the classroom and the actual practice of health administration in a business and clinical setting. One of those students is LeRai Martin, a second-year nursing student who attends Community College of Philadelphia. At 39, LeRai is older than many nursing students, but she sees her age as an advantage. She says that her life skills and previous training in humanities, as well as the practical experience she learned at IBC, will more than compensate for her late career start. “I thought I’d be interning at a hospital, not an insurance company, so at first I was a little concerned that I’d be sitting in a cubicle all day and not interacting with members,” said Martin. “But it turned out to be a great experience. I was able to get a bird’s eye view of the company and the insurance industry, and learn first-hand how managed care nurses help members.” The interns have a variety of responsibilities, from calling expectant mothers in the IBC Baby BluePrints® program to encourage them to follow their doctors’ prescribed treatment programs, to being assigned to one of the 28 area non-profit medical clinics that IBC supports through its Charitable Medical Care Grant Program. “The shortage of nurses affects the care we all receive,” said Stephen Fera, IBC’s vice president of Government & Social Mission Programs. “We believe strongly that giving future nurses this exposure to health care helps creates a well-rounded nursing professional.” The Nurse Internship Program is a companion initiative to IBC’s Nurse Scholars Program, which was recognized last year with the America’s Health Insurance Plans Foundation Community Leadership Award and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Corporate Citizen Award. To date, through the Nurse Scholars Program, IBC has contributed more than $3.25 million for more than 2,000 scholarships to 26 accredited nursing programs in southeastern Pennsylvania. About IBC Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For nearly 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. |