Public Relations/Marketing Internship - Summer 2024

Mary Free Bed Summary      
 

We have the great privilege of helping patients and families re-build their lives. It’s extraordinarily meaningful work and the reason we greet the day with optimism and anticipation. When patients “Ask for Mary,” they experience a culture that has been sculpted for more than a century. Our hallmark is to carefully listen to patients and innovatively serve them. This is true of every employee, from support staff and leadership, to clinicians and care providers.  

Mary Free Bed is a not-for-profit, nationally accredited rehabilitation hospital serving thousands of children and adults each year through inpatient, outpatient, sub-acute rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics and home and community programs. With the most comprehensive rehabilitation services in Michigan and an exclusive focus on rehabilitation, Mary Free Bed physicians, nurses and therapists help our patients achieve outstanding clinical outcomes. The growing Mary Free Bed Network provides patients throughout the state with access to our unique standard of care.

Mission Statement                                                                                                                            

Restoring hope and freedom through rehabilitation.

Employment Value Proposition      

At Mary Free Bed, we take pride in our values-based culture:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our Commitment to providing an inclusive environment for patients, families, staff, and community, through embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R.
• Focus on Patient Care.  A selfless drive to serve and heal connects all MFB employees.
• Clinical Variety and Challenge. An inter-disciplinary approach and a top team of professionals create ever-changing opportunities and activities.
• Family Culture.  We offer the stability of a large organization while nurturing the family/team atmosphere of a small organization.
• Trust in Each Other.  Each employee knows that co-workers can be trusted to make the right decision for our family, patients, staff, and community.
• A Proud Tradition. Years of dedicated, quality service to our patients and community have yielded a reputation that fills our employees with pride. 

Summary                                                                                                                                           

The Mary Free Bed Marketing team is offering an internship opportunity ideal for students seeking public relations experience in health care.

Essential Job Responsibilities                                                                    

The internship will provide hands-on opportunities to learn and participate in various aspects of health care marketing with a strong emphasis on public and media relations. Duties include:

• Provide, monitor and track media coverage 
• Assist in drafting press releases 
• Contribute content for various PR materials 
• Help in building and maintaining media lists
• Use tools and software to track the performance of PR initiatives 
• Offer creative ideas to enhance PR campaigns and strategies
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Assist in planning and executing PR events
• Participation in offsite Mary Free Bed events on some evenings and weekends will be required  
• Embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, by:

Treating everyone with dignity and respect

Opening more doors to opportunities for underrepresented cultures

Growing talent and people

Evaluating and eliminating disparities

Taking action against injustices, bias and racism

Honoring our differences and how to collaborate

Educating staff, patients and the communities we care for

Restoring Hope and Freedom, together

Customer Service Responsibilities                                                                                                

Demonstrate excellent customer service and standards of behaviors as well as encourages, coaches, and monitors the same in team members. This individual should consistently promote teamwork and direct communication with co-workers and deal discretely and sensitively with confidential information. 

Contributes by identifying problems and seeking solutions. Promotes patient/family satisfaction where possible; participates in departmental efforts to monitor and report customer service. 

Essential Job Qualifications

• Completed coursework in Public Relations. Health care marketing coursework is a plus. Student should be at least a junior or senior at an accredited four-year college or university. 
• Strong writing and editing abilities. Familiar with AP style. 
• Confidence in conducting interviews and public speaking. 
• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Multimedia content creation – which may include video, photo, podcast and livestream platforms. 
• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud
• Ability to take initiative and work independently

Academic Requirements and Work Schedule                                                                                                       

20-40 hours per week for a 12-16 week period. Actual hours and duration of internship will be determined at the time of position being awarded.

This is an unpaid internship.  The internship focus is on providing education and on-the-job training, and not actual employment. This training is considered a benefit for the intern, not Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.  The intern position is not a replacement for regular staff and the intern should not expect to be entitled to a job once training is complete. A monthly stipend may be offered and is intended to cover basic needs, such as lodging, meals and transportation.  

• This internship will promote learning for specific learning goals related to managing risk in health care administration as noted in intern essential functions above.
• All Interns are supervised.
• Interns are required to work a certain number of hours, but intern supervisor will work with each intern to be sure the hours do not conflict with academic participation in classes.
• Each Intern will receive a formal evaluation midway and at end of internship time period in relation to each interns specific learning goals.
• Mary Free Bed may work with each intern’s academic institution to determine academic credit that can be earned, but that is not a requirement. Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital reserves the right determine that requirements for complying with academic requirements for internship credit are beyond what the supervisor or department can reasonably provide.

All interns are expected to follow all policies and procedures of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Failure to follow Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital policies and procedures can lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of the internship.  If an intern is terminated the stipend may be reduced by proration to the date of termination.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification. 

Physical Requirements for Essential Job Qualification

Levels:

• Able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally 
• Able to lift, carry, push, pull, up to 10 pounds occasionally 
• Able to sit for the majority of the time, but may involve brief periods of time involving walking or standing. 
• Able to use keyboard frequently 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification.  If you require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential functions of this position, you must request accommodation in writing, within 182 days after you know or should know of the need for accommodation.

Mary Free Bed is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, genetic information, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected characteristic.