WSSU senior lands year round internship with SAS
Winston-Salem State University senior Robert Moore has spent this year serving as a business operations year round intern with the SAS Healthcare and Life Sciences team.
Moore, who is majoring in healthcare management, said the internship, which started in January 2024, has been profoundly impactful on his educational journey and career aspirations in healthcare administration.
Among the many tasks he’s worked on are two comprehensive market research projects targeting payers and pharmaceutical companies. These projects equipped the SAS teams with critical data to enhance customer interaction and support materials, he said.
This project, he said, “equipped me with critical analytical skills and real-world insights into customer interactions and support materials enhancement.”
Additionally, he conducted competitive research for the total cost of care (TCOC) use case, which involved identifying overlapping solutions and optimizing SAS’s market positioning to ensure its design remains cutting edge.
He consolidated internal and external information on SAS’s direct work in cancer and pharmacy research, ensuring brand awareness and sales enablement. He organized, centralized, and updated healthcare case studies and developed a detailed taxonomy for case studies involving various industry sectors, including providers, federal agencies, payers and pharmaceutical companies.
The TCOC project “allowed me to refine SAS’s market positioning and maintain our competitive edge. Consolidating information on SAS’s contributions in cancer and pharmacy research has not only bolstered brand awareness but also sharpened my skills in sales enablement and strategic communication,” he said.
Moore said WSSU has played a pivotal role in propelling his career aspirations forward since his sophomore year. An advisor recommended him for the Northwest AHEC Scholars Program, where he gained essential clinical education, didactic insights, invaluable networking opportunities, and participated in impactful community outreach initiatives.
“These experiences were pivotal in shaping my career goals within healthcare administration and operations,” he said.
Thanks to the program, he secured a summer internship with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Health Equity as a special project intern during his sophomore year. During his junior year, Dr. Cassandra Wineglass, associate professor of healthcare management, whom he described as an “exceptional professor,” encouraged him to apply for a year round internship at SAS.
“I was fortunate to be selected and have since been thriving as a business operations year round intern with the SAS Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry Consultants,” he said. “These opportunities provided by WSSU have not only enhanced my practical skills but also deepened my passion for healthcare administration and operations. I am grateful for the mentorship and support that have empowered me to pursue my career goals effectively,” he said.
“It was a pleasure to be his professor,” Wineglass said. “Robert participated in critical thinking class discussions and was very creative with his group when conducting presentations in my class. This internship will allow him to become the leader in data, research and healthcare. His internship was specific to health care and health care innovations with cancer, finance, and competitive cost. These areas allow him to stand out from the crowd. He is an amazing leader, and I cannot wait to hear and see what he becomes. Robert is the Ram to watch. He is a Ram that is taking charge.”
Moore was a member of the Campus Activities Board during his sophomore and junior years and was inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society as a freshman.
The internship will continue until he graduates in May. After graduation, he plans to secure full-time employment within the field of healthcare administration.
“Had it not been for WSSU, I would not have had access to the invaluable internship opportunities and mentorship that have shaped my professional growth and career trajectory in healthcare administration,” Moore said.
