Health Information Management Intern (Sierra Nevada Specialty Care, Pack Intern, Fall 2026)

**This internship is hosted by Sierra Nevada Specialty Care and sponsored by the Nevada Career Studio (NCS).

Students are highly encouraged to visit the Nevada Career Studio during our drop-in hours or use our Virtual Resume & Cover Letter Review service BEFORE applying for these positions. Resumes and cover letters that do not meet NCS expectations will not be included in applicant packages to employers. 

Sierra Nevada Specialty Care

About Sierra Nevada Specialty Care:

At Sierra Nevada Specialty Care, we're dedicated to providing exceptional specialty healthcare to our communities through compassionate patient care, clinical excellence, and teamwork. Our providers and staff specialize in nephrology, pulmonology, and clinical research, working together to improve patient outcomes while creating a supportive and collaborative workplace.

As an intern, you'll gain meaningful, hands-on experience by working alongside experienced healthcare professionals and business leaders. Depending on your area of interest, you'll have opportunities to contribute to projects in Human Resources, Clinical Operations, Research, Revenue Cycle, Administration, or other business functions. We believe in mentoring future professionals by providing real-world experience, constructive feedback, and opportunities to develop practical skills that will prepare you for your career.

We're proud of our collaborative culture, where employees are encouraged to ask questions, share ideas, and continuously learn. If you're looking for an internship where you can make a meaningful contribution while gaining valuable professional experience, we'd love to meet you.

Internship Description:

Want hands-on experience at the intersection of healthcare, operations, and technology? This internship focuses on a high impact project: overhauling and optimizing our patient portal system. Sierra Nevada Specialty Care currently utilizes a robust patient portal platform with more functionality than we actively employ. The goal of this internship is to help us fully modernize, streamline, and maximize adoption of the portal so patients and staff can better engage with their health information.

The intern will gain hands-on experience in healthcare technology, workflow development, user experience enhancement, and digital communication strategies. You will work closely with clinic leadership, administrative teams, and clinical support staff to understand current processes, identify gaps, and implement improved workflows.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Complete 150 hours of work as an intern (8-15 hours per week, 15 weeks total)
• Learn and master the administrative side of our patient portal, including settings, customization options, messaging tools, appointment functions, document exchange features, and patient communication capabilities.
• Conduct an assessment of current portal usage, functionality, and barriers to adoption.
• Map the current-state workflow for both staff and patients; identify inefficiencies or unused functionality.
• Develop future-state workflows for front office, MA support, providers, and patients to improve portal efficiency and consistency.
• Create step-by-step training resources for staff, including quick-reference guides, SOPs, and onboarding materials.
• Develop patient education materials, such as how-to guides, FAQ sheets, in-office posters, and digital onboarding instructions.
• Build and implement a portal adoption campaign, including:
  • Digital communication (email templates, website content, QR codes, etc.)
  • In-office promotional materials (flyers, tabletop signs, handouts)
  • Staff scripting for inviting patients to enroll
• Assist with portal customization opportunities, including message categories, automated reminders, appointment requests, and accessibility adjustments.
• Analyze data trends related to portal utilization and adoption, and report findings to leadership.
• Work collaboratively with clinical and administrative teams to support EHR related process improvements.

Goals and Expectations of the Intern:

Interns are expected to be proactive, collaborative, organized, and comfortable working through a structured project plan. By the end of the internship, the student will have:

• Developed a deep understanding of patient engagement technology.
• Contributed meaningfully to process improvement in a multi-location specialty practice.
• Produced tangible workflow documents, training materials, and campaign assets.
• Gained real-world experience in project management, communication, and healthcare operations.

Required Qualifications:

• Must be a degree-seeking student at the University of Nevada, Reno during the Fall ‘26 semester 
• Summer ‘26 or earlier graduates are not eligible for the Wolf Pack STEM Internship Program
• Student must be enrolled in a major or minor program in the following colleges:
  • Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources (CABNR)
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Science
  • Public Health/Orvis
• Coursework preferably in Health Informatics, Health Administration, Nursing, Public Health, Computer Science, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong computer skills, including familiarity with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and willingness to learn new software systems.
• Interest in healthcare operations, electronic health records, and patient engagement technology.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple tasks or small projects independently.
• Professional demeanor, including reliability, punctuality, and adherence to confidentiality standards.

Desired Schedule for Intern:

Applicants must be available to complete their hours during our practice operating hours, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. We are able to be flexible with how they would like to build this schedule as long as they are set up to complete their final hours.

Pack STEM internships require interns to complete 150 hours during their internship. It is the intern’s responsibility to ensure this requirement is met.