End of the intern program

It’s absolutely amazing that nine weeks have already flown by.  It feels like we were just in Itasca getting to know everyone!  I’ve really enjoyed working on different projects in the SF and Lafayette offices, and working on our regional intern project.  It was great working with everyone and hearing how everyone’s experiences have been similar, and how they have been different.  It’s pretty crazy that we’re at the end of this program.  I can honestly say that I have gotten a lot out of this internship, and like they told us in Itasca, this wasn’t “just another summer job”.

Best of luck to everyone!

-Melanie

End of the 8th week

Like everyone else has been saying, I can’t believe that we’re almost done with the intern program.  This week has gone by so quickly, with meetings and projects that I’ve been working on.  It’s crazy to think about the fact that we’ve almost completed 9 weeks of the intern program!

Yesterday I was able to go to a client meeting discussing their wellness program that they are hoping to pilot for this year.  They have just begun to think about things such as their slogan, and their mission statement.  I enjoyed being able to be there for one of the first meetings, to see where a client would begin to think about implementing a wellness program, and how to make it most effective.

I’ve also been working on some projects in the Lafayette office, so I’ve been out there between one and two times a week.  I went on a prospect visit earlier this week out there, and was able to see another producer’s style and how he approached the sales process.

Looking forward to talking to everyone in a few minutes!

-Melanie

Middle of week 6 in SF

I can’t believe that it’s already the middle of week 6!  I’ve been pretty busy here in the San Francisco office, helping with renewals, etc.  I’ve been doing a lot in BenefitPoint, to make sure that everything is updated as new plans go into effect for some of the large hospitality clients.  I’ve also been entering some information for the Lafayette office, which has some smaller clients, so I’m learning a lot about the differences between different sizes of clients, and how each office handles their client service.

The San Francisco office has a team that focuses on RETA, which is a Catholic healthcare trust.  They just finished a pilot wellness program with some of their groups within RETA, so I was able to attend a meeting that debriefed one of the groups on the pilot program.  It was really interesting to see how the implementation and success of the program was so dependent on the support from upper management.  It seemed like a very beneficial program, and they provided various incentives for finishing the program, and also entered participants into a raffle for additional prizes.  On the other side of it, we were also able to see what potential healthcare cost savings would be.

One of the things that I’m enjoying most so far throughout this internship is being treated as a part of the team, and being given tasks to finish that are time sensitive, and working with everyone else to meet the deadline.

I’ve also been working on the intern project, and talking with the producers in our office regarding their different styles, which has also taught me a lot about each producer and their success in bringing in and retaining clients.

Looking forward to talking with everyone tomorrow on the conference call!

- Melanie in SF