It’s not every year that a corporate partner triples the numbers of young professionals it hires. But Allina Health isn’t just any other company. And not every company wins the Rookie of the Year award, like Allina Health did at Draft Day on Tuesday.
We could tell you why Allina Health is such a valuable partner, but it’s better said by one of their interns. Said Jada Overton, “My internship at Allina has been meaningful because I developed a deeper understanding of what Allina is and their purpose. Their policy on whole-person care is not only for their patients but also their employees. The communal environment within Information Services encourages collaboration, cooperation, and ingenuity.”
So while their support for interns has undeniable depth, they’re expanding the breadth of their impact as well. This year, Allina Health will place six young professionals in technical roles such as device deployment, project coordination, and data and quality assurance. This leap from two interns to six is a direct result of the successes Allina’s 2018-2019 rookie season – success that hinged on the multilevel support and full engagement with the Genesys Works mission and values.
At the top, CIO and executive sponsor Jonathan Shoemaker has been a huge advocate for the programmatic growth of the partnership, while Geri Mittleider, a Lead Business Analyst at Allina, has been dedicated to managing the program experience and execution. It’s obvious that the Allina team comprises committed supervisors, sponsors, and facilitators who value proactive communication and deep partnerships, and see the value of a rich partnership with Genesys Works program.
Chris DuFresne, the Director of Information Systems, explained one reason why a growing partnership with Genesys Works is a valuable investment for the company: “The interns provide a different viewpoint because of their fresh perspective and connections within the local community. They provide their team members with a view into the potential young people possess and how that potential will benefit organizations in the years to come.”
Of course, like in any healthy partnership, the support is felt on both sides. Julia Reich, a program coordinator who worked with Allina Health this past internship year praised the Allina team: “It was clear that the supervisors fully bought into the program and understood that for the interns to succeed, they needed to be supported at all levels and across organizations.”
But organizational support isn’t the only thing that leads to success. When we reflect on the successes of the 2018-2019 year, it’s important to highlight the individual commitments and triumphs of Allina’s two young professionals, Jada Overton and Chris Torres.
Chris DuFresne, the Director of Information Systems at Allina, witnessed their personal growth firsthand: “Seeing the growth of each intern from the beginning of the year to the end of the year was very rewarding. They grew in their confidence and started speaking up in team settings more and more throughout the year.”
As for Jada, her growth is undeniable, and her success is due in part to the support of a team: “When I look back upon my internship year at Allina, I am thankful for my supervisor for trusting me to collaborate with other teams. I am also thankful for my mentors for helping me apply to colleges and scholarships, giving me life lessons to take with me when I go to college, and last, but certainly not least, becoming a friend that I can rely upon and trust.”
We echo Jada’s sentiment. We are grateful for partnerships like this one – ones that value proactive communication, high expectations, and high support. Thank you, Allina. Here’s to a successful sophomore season!
