Week Four: Organizational Culture at PHP

For my fourth week at the Partial Hospitalization Program at Rhode Island Hospital, I finished my second rotation: insurance. Because I had less interaction with patients during this rotation, I paid more attention to the relationships between coworkers and the organizational culture. The partial hospitalization program sees patients looking for mental health care when they are at desperate points in their lives. It is evident that the staff at the program think about this every day, and react accordingly. Whether or not an RA is responsible for intake interviews (which are most interesting) or insurance (least interesting), they work in a serious and professional way in order to provide patients with the best possible care. Aside from placing the patients’ needs first, it is clear that the entire staff supports and respects each other. It can be extremely taxing to hear some of these stories and stay calm in order to support patients. The employees at the program make sure to support each other and debrief together, both at lunch and at the end of the day. The weekly staff meeting also allows for open communication.

In terms of expectations, it is expected that every employee wants to be there and wants to further their career and their education. Weekly “journal club” meetings show that the staff are serious about pursuing research and learning as much as possible. While the culture is serious and professional, I feel like I have been given the freedom to plan my days out, because it is expected that I will get my tasks done. This week, I inquired about beginning a research project, with access to the large databases from the program. The RA’s were very encouraging and offered to help me along the way. Overall, I would say I am impressed and satisfied with the organizational culture of the partial program. Patients are always put first, with a strong emphasis on research and education as well. The value that the program places on education has allowed me to take a very hands-on approach to this internship, which has made this a great experience so far.