Healthcare Administration Internship Program with UK HealthCare a Longstanding Success

Since 2018, Georgetown College has partnered with UK Healthcare to offer internships to Georgetown students interested in healthcare administration. Mark D. Birdwhistell ’77, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for UK HealthCare, continues to foster this partnership as a newly elected member of the Georgetown College Board of Trustees. Birdwhistell earned his bachelor’s degree in social work from Georgetown College in 1977.

“Georgetown College students are experiencing healthcare strategy and decision-making firsthand with leaders in all different areas of expertise at UK Healthcare,” says Birdwistell. “They leave here with a better understanding of today’s healthcare challenges and how we solve problems at the highest levels.”

Michael Hatfield ’18, Director of Administration in the Office of the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at UK HealthCare, was a Georgetown College student intern in the program’s first cohort. Hatfield graduated from Georgetown with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management in 2018. He has worked at UK HealthCare for over six years and credits his success, in part, to his unique internship opportunity.

“My internship at UK HealthCare sparked my interest in healthcare administration and opened up new opportunities for me,” says Hatfield. “I would encourage any Georgetown College student to take advantage of this internship opportunity. The experience was invaluable.”

In 2024, four students graduated from Georgetown College who participated in the healthcare administration internship program, including Healthcare Administration and Finance Major Jeremy Adams from Edgewood, Kentucky; Healthcare Administration and Finance Major Andrew Hartz from Owensboro, Kentucky; Healthcare Administration Major/Accounting Minor Nicholas Smedley from Villa Hills, Kentucky; and Finance Major Grayson Sperbeck from Butler, Kentucky.

Over the years, dozens of Georgetown College students have interned at UK HealthCare to experience the day-to-day operations of senior leaders on the job. Each intern has a personalized internship experience catered to their specific interests. Students are completely immersed in the work of top executives, including the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Marketing, Chief Nursing Officer, and many others. 

“In order to understand the future of healthcare, students must gain medical knowledge, financial acumen, and leadership skills,” explains Dr. Tiffany Schuster, Assistant Professor and Chair of Business Administration and Economics at Georgetown College. “The UK HealthCare internship program provides valuable insights on how a combination of knowledge and skills can prepare the next generation of healthcare leaders.”

For more information about the UK HealthCare internship program at Georgetown College, email Dr. Tiffany Schuster at [email protected].