This summer, the Rehabilitation Department at Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) was thrilled to host eight student interns at various stages in their higher educational endeavors. Their experience with Rehabilitation Services was one part of CIHA’s larger Summer College Internship Program, which provides students with hands-on opportunities to explore career paths, build professional skills, and gain a better understanding of the many roles that support healthcare across our organization.
These opportunities are important not only for the students who participate, but also for CIHA. By investing in students and creating pathways for them to learn alongside experienced professionals, CIHA is helping develop the next generation of healthcare professionals while introducing young people to the many career opportunities available right here within their community.
Throughout the summer, these amazing young adults participated in numerous activities that served our EBCI community, from leading exercise classes and shadowing providers to participating in simulation labs and receiving on-the-job experience. Two exercise classes the interns participated in were
the Get Real and Heal Program through a partnership with UNC and CIHA’s Rehabilitation Department. They also had the opportunity to develop and carry out a movement-centered program at Tsali Manor designed to help our elders better prepare themselves for their upcoming senior trip to Amish Country in Pennsylvania.
The students were able to shadow professionals in the fields of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Orthopedics, Wound Care, and Podiatry, as well as learn about our contracted Orthotics and Prosthetics services. They participated in simulation labs with our providers, where they were able to gain hands-on experience with modalities such as dry needling, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and modified barium swallow studies, just to name a few.
The students also participated in lab sessions in which they learned proper transfer training techniques, range-of-motion and manual muscle testing, gait and posture assessment, and even had the opportunity to make their own shoe inserts. A highlight of the summer was a trip to the Body Experience in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where they were able to witness the amazing capabilities of the human body on display.
“The future is bright for Rehabilitation Services for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” said Jennifer Thompson, Rehabilitation Director at CIHA. “It was a privilege to have this amazing group of young adults show an interest in the rehabilitation services field and to provide them with experiences that can shape their educational and career journeys while allowing them to make a lasting impact on the community in return. Programs like CIHA’s Summer College Internship Program are an important investment in our future workforce. By giving students opportunities to learn, explore, ask questions, and work alongside CIHA professionals, we are helping build connections that we hope will bring talented young people back to serve the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for the next seven generations.”
Thank you to our Rehabilitation Department student interns: Mary Cooper, Josiah Glaspie, Vivian Ross, Shelby Solis, Leilaya McMillan, Samuel Hernandez, Sophia Woods, and Zoie Shuler.