Christian Squatrito ’21 has always had an interest in public health and finances. This summer, an internship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in the Patient Financial Services Department will combine these interests. Of this stellar opportunity, Squatrito says, “The job of this department has a lot of layers and is really important to help the hospital run the way that it does.”
Squatrito can be seen around campus with his ‘posse,’ students from the Community Leadership Experience at Worcester State (CLEWS) as well as partners in the public health program. He is always the first to sign up for community engagement opportunities, such as the annual trip to New York City, sponsored by the Binienda Center and the Office of Residence Life and Housing.
“When he learned of the opportunity at Dana Farber, we pulled out all the stops, contacting other alumni working there and getting his letters of recommendation in place,” says Binienda Director Mark Wagner, Ph.D. “The combination of networking and Squatrito’s bright personality has landed a result.”
“When I had my second interview,” Squatrito says, “my boss basically explained to me that I have the freedom in this position to be exposed to as much as I want, which will be a great opportunity to find what really interests me. Some of the objectives of the department include billing and collection of payment, dealing with patient’s insurance, clinical trial appeals, and keeping up with current health care policy, just to name a few.”
Health care facilities have specific computer systems, so this job is also going to introduce Squatrito to those complexities. In addition, Dana Farber is a place that values community outreach and has a designated person who handles payment of treatment for people coming from outside the United States. Many countries will send their citizens to Dana Farber for treatment, and their governments will pay the bill. Squatrito’s work will expose him to what goes into coordination with foreign country’s embassies for handling payment, a role he especially welcomes.
Written by Mark Wagner, Ph.D.
Achievers
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