Azalea Health VP, Doug Swords, Speaks on Value of Internship Programs

Interns can be beneficial not only to businesses, but also to the business community as a whole.

Doug Swords, now Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management for Azalea Health, knows first-hand the symbiotic value of internship experience, having begun his career in the healthcare IT industry with an internship. “The experience and skills I obtained through that internship helped kickstart my career while paving the way to the creation of Azalea Health,” Swords said. “Today, as an employer, Azalea Health finds tremendous value in employee internships. They have helped shape our organization in countless ways as our interns have moved up to positions of leadership in the company in areas such as software development, marketing, sales, revenue cycle management, client relations, and software training and support.”

Successful programs focus on mutual benefit for employers and interns. Students gain knowledge of business practices, industry patterns, and general operations while learning to develop and implement their ideas. The skills gained help interns to build attractive résumés ripe with experience. While many internships are unpaid, some organizations offer incentives such as transportation stipends or college credit. Employers receive fresh perspective from students who assist with the organization’s workload and often become permanent employees upon graduation. This business model helps to retain local talent while growing business, a winning scenario for students, employers and the business community.