When many people think about careers in health care, the roles of nurse or doctor often come to mind. Yet delivering exceptional care depends on a network of professionals whose work supports daily operations, enhances the patient experience, and helps advance ECU Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina.
To help students explore those opportunities, ECU Health‘s Talent Acquisition team launched the new non-clinical internship program this past summer.
The pilot program provided college students with hands-on experience across a variety of departments while introducing them to career opportunities in health care that extend beyond direct patient care.
“This was really about building awareness that there are many career paths within a hospital beyond what most people traditionally think about,” said Tavis Richardson, who led the development of the program. “There are opportunities in business, human resources, food and nutrition and many other areas that support our Mission every day.”
The program ran from May through August and welcomed East Carolina University students pursuing non-clinical fields of study. Interns were placed in departments including Food and Nutrition Services, Graduate Medical Education, Onboarding, Patient Experience and Engagement, Community Health, and other support areas across the organization.
Throughout the summer, participants gained practical experience, completed impactful projects and built relationships with team members.
One of those students was Bridgette Dingee, who interned with Food and Nutrition Services. During her internship, she worked alongside patient services, culinary and retail teams while contributing to projects aimed at improving operations and the patient experience. Her work included supporting the Cambridge Menu Study, enhancing competency checklists, completing safety and departmental audits, participating in patient and nursing rounds and other projects.
Among the projects she completed, Dingee said she was most proud of helping develop the patient picture menu.
“It was rewarding to be part of a project that could improve the hospital experience for patients with literacy, language or communication barriers,” Dingee said.
The experience also helped shape Dingee’s career path. Following the internship, she joined ECU Health Food and Nutrition Services as a team member while continuing her studies in dietetics at ECU.
Building on the success of the pilot program, ECU Health plans to expand the initiative in 2027. Internship opportunities will be available at all nine hospitals across the health system, and applications will be promoted to colleges and universities across North Carolina.