Internship program makes impact
Partnership between nursing home and school has mutual benefits

HAVERHILL – Penacook Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is receiving some much-appreciated assistance from some high school interns. The students, who attend Notre Dame High School in Lawrence, are working in Penacook’s social services, medical records and activities departments.

Two sophomores, Ruben Reyes and Ivana Ortiz, are currently working at Penacook Place. Freshmen Raphael Lara and Sindy Montesquieu also interned at Penacook in 2005, but are now placed with other Merrimack Valley employers. All of Penacook’s current and former interns reside in Lawrence.

“I hear rave reviews from every department here that has a student from Notre Dame working in it,” said Director of Human Resources Leah Doherty. “They’re very professional, well-mannered and helpful.”

According to Notre Dame Assistant Director Bob McCarty, many of the employers involved in the internship program have expressed similar sentiments.

“We just conducted our first formal performance review for the school year,” said McCarty. “Ninety percent of our students received good or outstanding reviews from their employers. For us, that was really a great indicator of how well the program is doing.”

Notre Dame High School is a two year-old not-for-profit Catholic high school. The students who attend Notre Dame help defray the cost of their $7,200 yearly tuition by participating in the school’s Corporate Internship Program. Students earn $5,000 a year as interns and also receive financial assistance according to need. On average, students’ families pay $600 a year out of pocket in tuition expenses, according to McCarty.

Notre Dame has partnered with 38 employers in the Greater Merrimack Valley to provide internship opportunities to students. Roughly 10 percent are not-for-profit organizations like Penacook Place.

            “The management and staff at Penacook Place are pleased with the additional support these students are providing,” said President and CEO Julian Rich. “We’re also happy to provide an opportunity that helps them reach their educational goals. This collaboration definitely benefits all of the parties involved.”

Located at 150 Water St., the 160-bed Penacook Place is the only not-for-profit nursing and rehabilitation facility serving the city of Haverhill. Penacook Place has a professional staff of 230 employees.