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Wisconsin Student Intern Program
for Pollution Prevention in Healthcare
General Description
The University of Wisconsin Extension is continuing the student intern program
for healthcare in 2009, after completing a successful pilot program in
2008. The Extension's Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) will support
University of Wisconsin students to work in four Wisconsin healthcare facilities during the summer
of 2009 to research solutions for specific waste-related problems.
Everyone benefits:
- Healthcare facilities gain well-developed options for improved efficiency, cost savings,
reduced waste and reduced regulatory burden.
- Students gain hands-on experience in a healthcare setting and an understanding of
pollution prevention strategies for solving problems.
- SHWEC gains success stories of businesses and institutions that have used pollution
prevention strategies to solve waste problems.
- Other healthcare facilities benefit by learning about pollution prevention strategies
that work.
How the Program Works
- Healthcare facilities identify their primary waste concerns and propose intern
projects to address them.
- SHWEC works with the healthcare facilities to develop projects with good cost-saving
potential. Funding is available for four projects in the summer of 2009.
- SHWEC evaluates all of the project proposals using a weighted-scoring process that
considers multiple aspects of a project, such as application to other healthcare
facilities and management support.
- SHWEC upper level college students with strong technical backgrounds. The interns
work full-time at a healthcare facility for about three months in the summer researching
reduction options. SHWEC pays two thirds of their salaries, while the healthcare facility
provides $3,500 prior to beginning the project. (Note: the healthcare facility chare will
increase in 2010, when the EPA grant that has funded the internship will end.)
- Working with SHWEC staff, each healthcare facility supervises its intern and directs
the project within the scope of the agreed upon project.
- When projects conclude, healthcare facilities get suggestions that help save money
by reducing or eliminating waste. SHWEC shares this information with other Wisconsin
healthcare facilities. Students have an excellent job experience to put on their
resumes.
Deliverables
At the conclusion of a project, the healthcare facilities receive a
report of the intern's findings. This report outlines the student's suggestions and
provides a cost analysis for them. The student presents findings in a detailed
presentation to the healthcare facility.
Intern Project Agreement
Each project requires a SHWEC Intern Project Agreement. The agreement
outlines the project, sets the scope of work, and defines the research and
deliverables. It highlights the roles and responsibilities of the people involved.
A project's summary and description vary with every project. The
roles and responsibilities of the healthcare facility, SHWEC and the student intern
for completing the projects are standard. These are detailed in this
sample project agreement (
word and pdf). A project's
outline in generally built from the following framework:
- Determine how waste is currently produced in healthcare facility processes.
Gather data from reports and running tests.
- Identify what other healthcare facilities are doing. Contact vendors about
best available technologies. Research and evaluate options for reducing waste.
- Work with the healthcare facility's management and employees to determine
feasibility of different waste reduction options. Develop a cost comparison between
the use of existing procedures and the new ones.
- Implement approved changes.
- Summarize findings in a detailed report, including recommended procedures and
system configuration along with an economic analysis and justification of any
changes.
- Present findings to the healthcare facility and SHWEC staff.
Students work full time at the healthcare facility for the
summer, for a maximum of 480 hours (12 weeks). The healthcare facility appoints one person to
act as the intern's supervisor at the healthcare facility. SHWEC appoints one
person to oversee the project and guide its technical aspects.
Contact Steve Brachman by
e-mail or at 414-227-3160 with questions related to SHWEC's student intern program
or click on the following links:
UW-Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and
programing including Title IX and ADA.
SHWEC gratefully acknowledges the Minnesota Technical Assistance
Program for giving permission to adapt materials and documents relating to its
Student Intern Program.
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