Programs

NRHA Internships

As a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to providing leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research, NRHA has developed a robust internship program where interns can grow professionally and gain firsthand knowledge about rural health. To ensure each intern is provided with a rewarding experience, the association offers three unpaid internship concentrations.
 
 

Communications Team Concentration


This internship concentration offers the opportunity to support NRHA’s existing communication avenues. Your main role will be to monitor and assess rural health news alerts, inquiries, and submissions, allowing our communications team to report on the issues of greatest import in the association’s newsletter, reaching thousands of NRHA members and constituents.

This internship experience has proven to be mutually beneficial by also serving as a crash course in the top rural health issues by highlighting designations, terminology, disparities, opportunities, and state and federal policy associated with rural communities.

Other potential tasks include writing and editing copy, drafting briefs and social media content, designing and developing event promotions, proofing magazine and blog copy, and confirming the NRHA membership status of those featured in our channels.

This is a remote internship that will work primarily with our headquarters office in Kansas City, Mo. 
 
 

Government Affairs Team Concentration


This internship offers the opportunity to assist NRHA’s Chief Policy Officer, Government Affairs and Policy Division (GAPD), in representing the policy and programmatic interests of rural health in the U.S. Congress, the White House, federal agencies, and other relevant non-governmental organizations.

As the Government Affairs (GA) intern you will be expected to track legislative and regulatory updates that affect the policy goals of NRHA, attend webinars and coalition meetings and circulate minutes to the GA team and create advocacy/outreach materials and communications related to legislation. In the past, interns have formulated a “passion project” on an area of interest resulting in a tangible final product.

An internship with NRHA is extremely beneficial to those seeking practical work experience in health policy and advocacy. Candidates should be an undergraduate or graduate student working on a degree in public health, health policy, political science, health administration or other health-care-related discipline. Candidates should have an interest in or working knowledge of federal and state health programs (especially Medicare/Medicaid) and rural health issues.

This will be a hybrid internship in Washington, DC. 

 
 

Program Services Team Concentration


This internship concentration offers the opportunity to work on non-profit management, educational conferences, association management/finances, and research activities. Interns have the opportunity to take part in and experience program design, implementation, and evaluation-all key components within the Program Services division.

In the past, interns worked on funded projects relating to health equity, oral health, chronic diseases and obesity, maternal health, public health, community health workers, emergency preparedness, and behavioral health. This internship also offers the opportunity to support a nationwide network of nonprofit state rural health organizations.

Additionally, given the various meetings and conferences that NRHA spearheads in this area, interns will have access to key rural health leaders and contacts from around the country. Interns will gain an understanding of how technical assistance is provided nationally, at the state level, and at the community level. If interns exhibit strong writing skills and initiative, they may be asked to write papers on a rural health topic of interest to them.  


 

General Information


Internships can be tailored to meet course requirements if students are interested in receiving academic credit. While we welcome interns year-round, NRHA limits the number of interns it hosts at one time to ensure we offer the best possible experience.  

  

To apply, fill out the form below. If your application is selected for an interview, you will hear from our intern coordinator within two weeks of your submission. If you have any questions about NRHA or the internship program, contact Laura Hudson
 
 

Internship Application Deadlines


Applications will be reviewed on a rolling a basis. If you apply to be considered for multiple semesters and miss the deadline for one, you will be automatically considered for the aditional semester for which you applied. Please find the application deadlines for each semester below: 
 

Spring Application Deadline: November 30th

Summer Application Deadline: April 1st

Fall Application Deadline: August 1st