[Chapter Name] Internship Program Template
Mission: Sustain a workforce of professionals who optimize the health care physical environment.
Vision: Engaged new professionals who are dedicated to the creation of health care
environments that are optimal for healing.
Executive Summary
[Chapter Name] establishes and manages a student internship program to encourage and
support student internships in members’ organizations. In collaboration with The American
Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), [Chapter Name] provides students an opportunity to
gain meaningful experience in disciplines that create and support the physical health care
environment. Through these internships, health facility leaders are developed, allowing health
organizations to meet their needs for succession planning.
[Chapter Name] Internship Program Summary
[Chapter Name] provides assistance in securing internships for students who have an interest in
careers that are part of creating and managing the health care physical environment. The
internship program allows the student to transition from the college or university curriculum to
practical applications found in a professional health care facility management or health care
construction project settings. A student can participate in an internship program throughout a
summer, or throughout a semester. A summer internship lasts approximately 10-12 weeks, and a
semester internship program lasts approximately 14 weeks.
Most Universities have well established internship programs in place. Internships often provide
credit hours, with specific requirements that the student must fulfill during the internship. The
[Chapter Name] Internship Program is not intended to replace any University requirements or
process, and the student is responsible for coordinating the opportunity to earn credit hours with
his/her university.
The outcomes of the [Chapter Name] Internship program are as follows:
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Develop future health care facility leaders.
Create meaningful experiential opportunities for interns that will allow them to
successfully transition into careers.
Raise the awareness in the industry of the value that new university graduates can bring
to a health care organization as professionals entering the workforce.
[Chapter Name]’s role in the internship process is to:
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Identify organizations that desire to host an intern(s).
Provide grants to host organizations based on need and compliance with criteria
established by [Chapter Name].
Facilitate identification of potential intern candidates.
Monitor the internship process.
Create a life long relationship with the intern.
Encourage and seek sponsors to participate in the internship process.
ASHE’s role in the internship process is to:
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Assist in identifying intern candidates through involvement with colleges and universities
at a regional and national level.
Provide training for interns prior to or during the internship.
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Provide interns access to ASHE resources.
Facilitate the intern’s participation in the ASHE Annual Conference and Technical
Exhibition.
Definitions
[Chapter Name] Internship Program: [Chapter Name] efforts and activities to
encourage creation of internship opportunities for university and college students, or new
graduates.
[Chapter Name] Mentor: A [Chapter Name] member who engages with an intern and
is available as a resource and collaborator long term as the intern completes their
education and transitions into a career.
Host organization (intern employer): An organization that provides an opportunity for an
intern to work in their organization.
Host organization mentor: A host organization employee who takes responsibility for
providing a meaningful experience for the intern. The host organization mentor has a
desire to be a mentor not only during the period of the internship, but also to serve as a
resource for the intern as they continue in their education and transition into their career.
It is recommended that the mentor be a [Chapter Name] member.
Intern: A student or recent graduate of a university or college who desires to have a
career in some facet of the health care physical environment.
Host Organization Types
[Chapter Name] facilitates student internships for three types of organizations that desire to host
an internship:
 Health care organizations in which the host organization mentor is an [Chapter Name]
member
 Engineering, design, construction, or consulting organizations in which the host
organization mentor is an [Chapter Name] member
 Organizations that provide outsource facility management services to health care
organizations in which the host organization mentor is an [Chapter Name] member
Note: Chapters should determine the types of organizations where they will facilitate internships.
It is assumed that placing interns in health organizations where there is a Chapter member will be
the most common priority for the Chapter.
[Chapter Name] Services Provided
[Chapter Name] provides the following services in support of the ASHE Internship Program:
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Enlist health care and other related organizations interested in hosting interns.
Work with colleges, universities, and with ASHE to identify students who are interested in
internships.
Provide grants to host organizations, based on need, to be used to help fund an
internship. This financial assistance is to be used in its entirety to supplement the host
organization’s provision of a stipend or wages for intern and to assist the intern in
transportation or housing needs. Host organizations eligible to receive a grant apply to
[Chapter Name]. The [Chapter Name] [Board of Directors or whomever the chapter
determines] directs the selection process.
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Encourage local and regional organizations to sponsor and support internships in health
organizations.
ASHE Services Provided
ASHE provides the following services as part of its Internship Program:
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Enlist health care and other related organizations interested in hosting interns.
Work with colleges and universities on a regional and national level to identify students
who are interested in internships.
Provide a conduit for [Chapter Name] and host organizations to find student interns
(recruiting services provided).
Provide scholarships for students in the [Chapter Name] internship program to attend
the ASHE Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition.
Provide online training for interns before and/or during their internship.
Encourage and provide tools to assist ASHE Affiliated Chapters in facilitating and
providing scholarships for internships within their member’s health care organization
Encourage corporate partners to provide scholarships for internships
Maintain a website (ashe.org/internship) of internship resources for affiliated chapters,
host organizations and intern candidates.
Internship Program Administration
The [Chapter Name] internship program shall be administered by the [Chapter Name] [officer or
person responsible] with reports provided to the [Chapter Name] Board of Directors. A summary
report of the [Chapter Name] internship activities is provided to the ASHE Director of Leadership
Development.
[Chapter Name] Internship Process
Internship Hosting Organizations
[Chapter Name] encourages health care organizations and other related industry organizations
to host and/or sponsor internships.
[Chapter Name] provides assistance to host organizations in establishing an internship.
[Chapter Name] provides assistance in identifying potential intern candidates and share sample
internship descriptions that the host organization may use.
A potential host organization seeking funding from [Chapter Name] to help offset the cost of
hosting an intern submits an application to [Chapter Name]. [Chapter Name] selects host
organizations that will receive funding assistance based on established criteria by [Chapter
Name] and the amount of funding available. The application includes:
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Internship time frame desired such as summer or fall semester.
Internship emphasis, such as health care facility management or construction project
management.
A description of the internship opportunity and a written plan for the interns’ activities.
The host organizations financial contribution to the internship, including funding available
from local business partners.
Possible housing opportunities (realizing that some organizations might be able to
provide housing, and others will not).
Student Application Process
[Chapter Name] and ASHE solicits applications for internships through universities beginning at
the start of the fall semester. Students that are interested in an internship submit an application at
ashe.org/internship that includes an optional recommendation from a university faculty. [Chapter
Name] initiates a phone interview with each student. When it is feasible for a [Chapter Name]
representative to visit the campus during the fall semester, this interview could take place in
person. In addition to seeking intern candidates though campus visits and relationships with
colleges and universities, ASHE provides a website, ashe.org/internship, which interns can use to
apply for internships.
Placing Interns at Organizations
[Chapter Name]’s role in placing interns is to match students who desire to serve an internship,
with organizations that desire to host internships. The hosting organization should interview
potential interns and will make all final decisions regarding which intern(s) they select.
The host organization identifies an individual as a mentor to each intern. This mentor serves as
an advocate for the intern, and will ensure that the requirements in the MOU between ASHE and
the host organization are fulfilled.
Intern Wages and Compensation
[Chapter Name] recommends that interns receive compensation for their work. The standard
compensation in the industry is a wage of $15/ hour, for a typical 40-hour work week. The wage
will be determined by the host organization and agreed upon by the intern. Pay periods shall align
with the host organization’s employment standards. The state laws in the location of the employer
will regulate employment status.
Since interns are typically students, they often will have limited financial means. Ideally, interns
will serve an internship in an area relatively close to their home, although many interns are willing
to travel to other areas for internships. Hosting organizations can choose to provide additional
benefits, such as housing or transportation allowance. Competition for interns is strong.
Organizations that have the means to provide assistance with housing and/or transportation can
help ensure that their organization secures the best possible interns.
[Chapter Name] believes that the internship experience is more fulfilling for the organization as
well as the intern when the host organization has some financial interest in the internship.
[Chapter Name] also understands that some potential host organizations do not have financial
means to be able to fully fund an internship. [Chapter Name] provides opportunities to
supplement funding for host organizations that do not have the means to fully fund an internship.
Supplemental funding may be in the form of a [Chapter Name] grant to the host organization.
The [Chapter Name] grant to a host organization is to be used in its entirety to supplement the
host organization’s provision of a stipend or wages for intern and to assist the intern in
transportation or housing needs.
[Chapter Name] encourages that at least some of the compensation for the intern should be
provided by the hosting organization. [Chapter Name] or the host organization may seek other
funding sources to help provide compensation, such as sponsorships.
Based on the [Chapter Name] budget process, the [Chapter Name] [person or persons
responsible for the Chapters budget process] determines the amount of [Chapter Name]
funding available from grants, sponsorship, and operations to supplement internship wages each
year through grants or scholarships. That funding is awarded to host organizations on an
individual, as-needed basis, and based on criteria and a selection process administered by
[Chapter Name].
Intern Training Provided by ASHE
ASHE also supports the internship process by providing education for interns that are serving an
internship funded by or supported by an affiliated ASHE Chapter. Interns will be provided the
ASHE Managing Life Safety and Fundamentals of Facility Management e-learning courses as
part of their internship experience. They are also encouraged to participate in selected MyEnergy
University courses prior to and during their internship.
Intern Participation in the ASHE Annual Conference
ASHE encourages interns placed through the [Chapter Name] Internship Program to participate
in the ASHE Annual Conference. ASHE provides scholarships for interns to attend the ASHE
Annual Conference. The scholarship includes registration, housing and transportation. All other
expenses for attending the conference will be the responsibility of the intern. These scholarships
are provided based on criteria established by and administered by ASHE. [Chapter Name] can
submit a request to ASHE for scholarships for interns that [Chapter Name] is sponsoring or
facilitating to attend the ASHE Annual Conference and Technical Exhibition. When student
interns attend the ASHE Annual Conference, the mentor from the hosting organization is
encouraged to attend the conference with the intern.
ASHE often offers scholarships for ASHE Student Chapter members at Universities to attend
ASHE conferences. Interns might be included in these scholarships, in which case ASHE could
provide the funding to the intern for the Annual Conference through the ASHE Student Chapter.
[Chapter Name] encourages the host organization to provide the interns wages while they
attend the ASHE Conference.
Memorandums of Understanding (MOU)
An MOU is agreed upon and signed by [Chapter Name] and each hosting institution. The MOU
includes:
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Educational expectations
The mentor’s participation in the internship experience
Intern position description
Financial considerations
Liabilities
The MOU with the host organization will not replace any MOU’s or agreements between the host
organization and the University.
The host organization assigns one individual as a mentor to each intern. This mentor accepts the
role as an advocate for the intern, and ensures that the conditions stated in the MOU with
[Chapter Name] are fulfilled as well as University requirements met.
Timeline
Following are milestones for annual administration of the ASHE Internship Program:
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[Chapter Name] establishes the budget for the internship program in July of each year.
[Chapter Name] identifies organizations that are interested in hosting an internship. This
will be an ongoing process. Ideally, host organizations are identified by the end of August
of the year prior to the internship
[Chapter Name] and ASHE recruit interns and identify a pool of intern candidates.
[Chapter Name] begins accepting internship student applications in September of the
year prior to the internship
[Chapter Name] provides potential intern resumes to host organizations beginning in
September of the year prior to the internship. Placement of interns can begin as soon as
host organizations are ready to interview and select intern candidates. The goal will be
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for all interns to be placed as soon as possible, but no later than the end of February of
the year in which they will participate in the internship.
[Chapter Name] provides a report to ASHE identifying host organizations and interns
placed.
Interns can begin the training provided by ASHE as soon as their internship is finalized,
and ideally will be completed before the internship begins.
Interns (summer internships) begin the internship in May or June.
Interns facilitated by affiliated ASHE Chapters, and ASHE, interns participate in a
conference call with ASHE and the Chapter Mentors prior to the ASHE Annual
Conference to discuss the internship experience to date.
Interns participate in the ASHE Annual Conference.
Internships are completed August (for summer internships).
Evaluation of the internship experience takes place following conclusion of the
internships. The evaluation includes the interns, host organization, [Chapter Name], and
ASHE.
Evaluation and reports are presented to the [Chapter Name] Board of Directors, ASHE
Education Committee, ASHE Board of Directors, and the ASHE internship corporate
sponsor, Schneider Electric.
The internship process is evaluated and modified based on the evaluation process.
[Chapter Name] and ASHE Mentors continue engagement with the interns.
The Internship Experience
The purpose of the internship is twofold:
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Provide the intern with experiences that will help them transition from the University
setting to a real world position supporting heath care
Provide the host organization with a valuable resource that can assist with tasks and
projects
As such, the internship experience should be well-rounded and provide the intern an opportunity
to actively participate in many phases of management of the health care physical environment.
Internships can be focused on facilities management, or they can be focused on
project/construction management. Interns should be matched to these areas of emphasis based
on their interest during the interview process and the needs of the host organization. The
internship should provide exposure to elements of both areas.
Interns shall be provided with a project that they are responsible for during their internship. This
project should be one that includes participating with facilities management staff, construction
management staff, and clinical and support staff throughout the facility or organization. Examples
of projects include those related to:
 Compliance
 Process improvement
 Energy efficiency
 System upgrade or replacement
 Management of a small remodel project
 Coordinate a department move
 Coordinate a utility shut down
 Assist with a specific aspect of a construction project
In addition to a project interns should participate in each of the following areas:
 Engineering and Operations
 Design and Construction
 Environmental Services
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Parking
Security and/or campus police services
Technology Services and Support
Occupational Health and Safety
It is recommended that the interns have the opportunity spend a meaningful amount of time
involved in these areas or functions, however it is recognized that not all host organizations have
a level of activity in all of these areas. The goal is for the intern to have a well-rounded
experience, gain exposure to the full health care facility portfolio, as well as having the
opportunity to get into some depth in a particular area.
A written plan shall be developed by the host organization that incorporates experiences and
meets the educational requirements of the university the intern is attending.
Host organization mentors will introduce the intern to [Chapter Name] and include the intern in
any local chapter activities that take place during their internship.
[Chapter Name] and ASHE Financial and Education Provisions for Internships
Intern Benefits
1. Intern is provided a [Chapter Name] student membership.
2. Intern is provided an ASHE student membership.
3. ASHE provides complementary registration to the intern for the ASHE Annual Conference
and Technical Exhibition. [Chapter Name] may choose to provide funding for travel costs for
the intern(s) to attend the conference. ASHE also provides a number of scholarships to cover
travel costs for interns attending the ASHE Annual Conference. [Chapter Name] can submit
an application to ASHE for an ASHE Scholarship, which may cover travel costs and the
intern[s]’ attendance to the conference.
4. The intern is provided with ASHE Managing Life Safety, Fundamentals of Facility
Management courses, and selected MyEnergy University courses.
Host Organization Benefits
1. [Chapter Name] provides a grant of [dollar amount] to the host organization to help fund an
internship
2. ASHE provides five complimentary e-learning courses to the host organization to use at their
discretion.