The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) is excited to introduce one of two summer interns for the summer of 2023. Thomas Ebrahem is a student at South Dakota State University, in Brookings SD where he is pursuing a Human Biology major in the pre-med track. Thomas is in his senior year and will graduate in the fall of 2023, with plans to attend medical school.
The MCHC RISE-UP internship program’s goal is to bring about leaders who are interested in public health. There are people who do this internship across the United States, in four different locations, in Maryland, Montana, California, and of course here in South Dakota.
As a young child, Thomas became interested in healthcare after his father became ill. Today he volunteers at the Sioux Falls banquet. “I knew I wanted to get involved with something related to public health, after I have been volunteering at the downtown Sioux Falls banquet. Volunteering at the banquet made me curious to how the underserved populations deal with healthcare.”
During his time with SDAHO, Thomas has actively researched a program called PACE, which stands for Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. “PACE has been implemented in many states, and it has been successful in improving care for the elderly. I am trying to understand the steps needed for the state to start implementing the program so that it could be available in South Dakota.”
In addition to his research efforts, Thomas has learned more about healthcare advocacy and SDAHO’s role is assisting member facilities at both the state and federal level. “I am learning more about how state legislation works. I also hope to become more aware of the health problems affecting our state.”
When asked what his “dream” job is after graduation, Thomas says he has not decided and just wants to keep all his doors open for now.
Thomas has called South Dakota home since 2016, however he was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. As a young boy he and his family would move to Texas, where he lived for a few years before settling down in the Rushmore state, where his dad took a job with Sanford Health. In his free time Thomas enjoys doing almost anything outside. “For fun I like staying active by either going for a walk, kayaking, camping, and hiking. I also enjoy going to the gym.”
SDAHO is excited to have Thomas Ebrahem as one of two 2023 SDAHO Rise-Up Interns. To watch Thomas’s video, visit the SDAHO YouTube Channel.
