Intern of the Week: Robert Roselle for Health Administration

Fri, 09 May 2014 17:33:46 -0400
healthadministrationandpolicy, internoftheweek, internships

Name: Robert Roselle

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Baltimore City Health Dept; Legal Aid Bureau

Major(s)/Minor(s): Health Administration and Policy; Management of Aging Services; Political Science

Expected Graduation Year: December 2014

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I am involved with the Long term Care Ombudsman Program with the Baltimore City Health Department; and the Long Term Care Assistance Program with the Legal Aid bureau. Both programs are designed to ensure that residents of long term care facilities are receiving good care and are having their rights respected. I regularly visit local nursing homes and assisted living facilities and talk with residents to determine if they have issues regarding their day to day living arrangements that they need help with. I try to resolve problems.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I enjoy meeting and conversing with seniors. But most of all I enjoy the satisfaction that accompanies successful problem resolution. I like being able to help people who are unable to do as much for themselves as they would like to. Whether their needs are large or small, just being able to help gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

The experience and satisfaction of working with other dedicated and selfless public sector employees to help the large and growing population of seniors who desperately need assistance.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

I would suggest to them that this is a great opportunity to help others and to see and appreciate what others who may not be as fortunate as their older friends or relatives are experiencing as they grow older.

How do you see your experience as meaningful? This might involve skills you’ve gained, information you’ve learned, mentors you’ve connected with, or projects you’ve completed.

I have found my time (I have been a volunteer ombudsman since 2012) and efforts at the Baltimore City Health Department very meaningful and satisfying, if not frustrating and stressful, because many residents of long term care facilities have a difficult time because of insufficient staffing and inadequate training of staff. The office in I work is also under staffed with only 3 paid ombudsmen, including the supervisor and a small number of volunteers. We are responsible for the monitoring of approximately 35 nursing homes and rehab facilities and several hundred Assisted Living Facilities.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

"I used to complain because I had no shoes until i met a man who had no feet."