The Towson University HCMN Program requires a professional portfolio to be submitted from each student as the capstone assignment. The contents of the portfolio are gathered throughout the course of study in the Program, with most major pieces being developed during the Internship.
It is expected that the HCMN student will develop and submit this portfolio in such a manner as if it
were being presented to a Board of Directors at a health care organization; it is to be of the highest quality, in terms of both content and presentation. The portfolio is to be assembled in a 1 inch 3-ring binder, and is to include typed, labeled tabs for each section in the Table of Contents.
Contents of the portfolio are to be as follows:
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Cover Letter
Resume
Internship Case Study
Internship Project Report
Interview Reflections
Reflective Paper
Recommendation Letter
Career Development Plan
Appendices
Cover Page
Self-explanatory. Must include at least student’s name, TU ID number, and expected graduation date.
Table of Contents
Self-explanatory.
Cover Letter
This item should be the cover letter written by the Intern to the Preceptor requesting the internship.
2

Resume
This item should be the resume submitted by the Intern to the Preceptor for consideration in the placement.
Internship Case Study
This item should be a write up of the case study conducted by the Intern during the internship, and include a signed and completed Preceptor Letter of Release form. The Intern, in concert with the Preceptor, will identify an organizational problem and, using a case study approach, develop a workable and realistic solution to the problem . The student must demonstrate the ability to (as applicable):
•locate information on health care needs of the U.S. population, and in reference to specific populations,
•evaluate a health care organization’s ability to provide health and medical care services to a specific population in terms of access and availability of services
•synthesize theoretical perspectives on managing complex, formal organizations (i.e., hospitals, health maintenance organizations, etc.),
•apply basic problem solving skills along with health care financial management knowledge to develop recommendations related to the financial issue(s) confronted by a health care organization,
•organize information for the purpose of formulating a plan with associated recommendations for changing organizational behavior;
•communicate clearly and professionally through writing.
The written, typed case study should be 5-10 pages long, double-spaced, 10 or 12 point font with 1 inch margins.
The case study should have the following components:
1. Background statement. What are the organization’s mission, goals and objectives? What populations does the organization serve? Who are their customers? What is their position in the marketplace? In other words, how do they measure up to their competition? Describe the organization, setting, situation, who is involved, who decides what, etc.
2. Identify your role. Describe what department(s) you worked in, who your preceptor was and the preceptor’s role in the organization. Where did your department and preceptor and YOU fit into the overall organization?
3. Identification of diversity issues and their impact in this case. How do matters of race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, religion, and/or disability appear in this case and what impact might they have on this case? Be sure to include diversity issues in each section of the case study, identifying how they relate to Major problems and secondary issues,
Organizational strengths and weaknesses, Alternatives and Resolutions, and Evaluation.
4. Major problems and secondary issue. What major problems and secondary issues did the organization and/or department face that you observed during your internship? What were the real issues? Analyze the causes and effect. What is your analysis of the situation? Think about the underlying motivators. Fully explain your reasoning.
5. Organizational strengths and weaknesses. What are the organization’s or department’s strengths and weaknesses? What strengths do they bring to the marketplace? What weaknesses do they need to address?
3

6. Alternatives and Resolution. What alternatives does the organization or department have available to them? What feasible strategies would you recommend? State what should be done--why, how, and by whom. Specify the actions, steps and recommendations.
7. Evaluation. What evaluation plan would you have them put in place to enable them to assess if they are meeting their goals?
Internship Project Report
This item should be the Internship Project Report completed during the internship, and include a signed and completed Preceptor Letter of Release form. The Intern will assume major responsibility for a program or project in the health care organization, commensurate with the Intern’s competencies and the health care organization’s needs. The program/project will be discussed and approved by both the
Preceptor and the University Supervisor.
The Internship Project can be any project for which you have major responsibility and should be identified in your Learning Contract and/or Learning Logs. At the conclusion of the Project, you are to submit a written report (double spaced Word document, 12 point Times Roman font with 1 inch margins). A letter of release signed by the Preceptor should accompany the written report.
A brief description of the project, its purpose and your role should be included as background information only. Your report should focus in detail how the project helped you attain the goals set out in your Learning Contract and/or Learning Logs. Examples of your written work (e.g. memos, charts, power point presentations, etc.) are strongly encouraged. Check with your Preceptor regarding confidentiality and proprietary nature of materials. NO patient names should appear in any documents.
It would be NICE if you could take this piece on a job interview, but it is not required. The Project report will be submitted as part of the Assessment Portfolio.
Interview Reflections
The Intern will be responsible for identifying two professionals to conduct informational interviews; these professionals may be within or outside of their designated placement /department. Students must prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewees as the interviewer. Following the interview, the student must write a 2-3 page reflective paper (double spaced Word document, 12 point Times Roman font with 1 inch margins) describing what was learned and how it may relate to future career plans.
Students must also include the questions compiled to conduct the interviews in the write up. This document must be submitted and reviewed by a site preceptor as a part of the portfolio review/signoff before being submitted in the final intern portfolio.
Reflective Paper
This item is the Reflective Paper based on your Health Care Management Internship experience. The purpose of this assignment is for the student to demonstrate the ability to:
 set explicit goals for own work;
 monitor progress towards meeting goals;
 seek out and use feedback from others;
 evaluate your learning and performance;
 assess personal strengths and weaknesses;
 communicate clearly and professionally through writing.
4

The written, typed reflective paper should be 4-5 pages long, double spaced, 12 point Times Roman font with 1 inch margins. Using the objectives listed above as a basis for your reflection, you should answer the following questions:

In what ways was the internship experience valuable to you?

What SPECIFIC experiences did you feel made you stretch and GROW as a professional?

How successful were you in attaining the goals identified in your Learning Contract and/or
Learning Logs?

What could you have done differently during your internship to improve the learning experience?
Recommendation Letter
At the conclusion of the internship, you will be required to submit a Recommendation Letter; this letter is intended to assist future Interns in deciding on placements. The Recommendation should highlight what the experience was like, what types of projects you worked on, how the Preceptor was to work with, and anything you would have liked to have known prior to the start of the placement. Finally, you should address the question, “Would you recommend this placement to others - why or why not?”
Your letter must include a semester/date, the Organization Name, Department, and Preceptor’s name; only include your name if desired, as this document will be provided in the “paper files” for internships
and made public.
Career Development Plan
This item is the Career Development Plan completed during your internship. The Career Development
Plan should at the minimum include a self-assessment (emotional intelligence survey, reflection on
HCMN core competencies of a graduate, etc.), areas of strength and areas for development, a career statement, short term career goals, and long term career goals.
Appendices
This item is optional. It could include any materials developed during the HCMN Program of which the student is particularly proud, or that support any of the above content items.
5

6