Palmetto GBA’s internship program is designed to give current students real-world experience in the health care industry. From day one, interns are treated as part of our team ─ they are given ownership of projects, asked to present research to leadership and are involved in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Abigail Harrison, a senior at Presbyterian College, spent her summer working with the Projects and Planning Department at Palmetto GBA.

“Abigail participated in several projects in our department,” said Projects and Planning Director Joy Skinner. “She led a project on engaging the next generation workforce. Her project culminated with a presentation in which she shared her recommendations with Palmetto GBA President Joe Johnson.”

Harrison’s project required hours of research on Generation Z and Millennial hiring and job-seeking trends, which then needed to be organized into recommendations based on concrete statistics and behavioral analysis, according to Creative Project Lead Liz Nettles who worked closely with Harrison during her internship.

Palmetto GBA interns like University of South Carolina senior Raphael Ofendo Reyes got a behind-the-scenes view of company operations. He spent his summer internship working on a staffing plan proposal for the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) team.

“Raphael’s work on this proposal included determining staffing needs for each area within CBIC and updating the staffing matrix for the proposal based on those needs,” said Raul Matawaran, CBIC Chief Financial Analyst and Reyes’ mentor.

One of the primary goals of Palmetto GBA’s internship program is to help students hone their skills and give them knowledge that will help the in their future studies and careers.

“It takes teamwork and clear communication from different areas within the company to ensure the work process is performed properly and efficiently,” Matawaran said. “Raphael got first-hand experience with this on his CBIC project and will be able to apply this knowledge in his future career in public health.”

University of South Carolina graduate student Nicole Nasrallah was another intern who picked up new skills this summer like programming in UNIX. She also learned how to apply her analytical skills in different ways.

“Nicole gained an understanding of how statistical analysis reporting is utilized in a business environment and how it can have an impact on many different areas of the company,” said Rick Altobello, Medicare Statistical Analysis Department Reports and Analysis Manager and Nasrallah’s mentor.

The ultimate goal of the internship program is to prepare students for their careers, and we hope they pursue those careers at Palmetto GBA.

“They’ve already got prior knowledge of the company,” said Paige Warren-Long, Talent Acquisition Partner with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Palmetto GBA’s parent company. “Our goal is to have interns come back and start their career with us. They’ve already established relationships and rapport with their team.”

So what advice do our mentors have for young professionals embarking on their career journeys?

“Always bring something to the table,” Nettles said. “Think beyond your day-to-day tasks. Diversity of ideas will make your company stronger.”

Palmetto GBA team members also encourage interns and fellow employees to continue learning and growing in their career paths. Graduation is no excuse to end our education.

“Never stop learning,” Altobello said. “Always challenge yourself to know more than you do today. And don’t be afraid of the big challenges ─ that’s where the biggest success comes from!”