This internship post was written by Alyssa Moore, a 2024 graduate of the Archives and Public History MA Program.
I interned at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center Archives. The Medical Center Archives is responsible for the preservation and accessibility of 10,000 linear feet of material documenting the history of health care, scientific research, and medical education dating back to 1771.
My final project was to survey and process the William J. Ledger, MD Papers. Many collections of this archives contain personal health information (PHI), which is protected under HIPAA, and the Ledger Papers was no exception. This meant that I had to identify and flag all PHI documents in the finding aid so that the archivist can restrict PHI material when it is made accessible to researchers. To support me, my supervisor Tali, the Technical Services Archivist, met with me on a weekly basis to discuss any oddities I encountered. I learned much about HIPAA through this internship, and it was helpful to gain insight into how archives navigate restricted material.
I also took part in SMARTFest, an annual event where organizations promote their services to the Weill Cornell community. The archives curated a display case of items from their collections in an effort to demystify the work of the archives. It was rewarding to engage with the public and to share the history of the Medical College through these primary sources. Through SMARTFest, I discovered that I am most excited about this kind of curatorial and outreach work.
Overall, this internship was an enriching experience. I discovered new things about myself as a professional and received mentorship from knowledgeable archivists in a positive work environment.