Neha Paras, College of Health (COH) senior who majored in population health and minored in computer science, did not take any classes at Lehigh this semester. Lauren Lencovich, a fellow senior population health major, opted for a full course load to close out the year. Both were chosen to participate in a semester-long cooperative at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the nation’s oldest hospital devoted exclusively to the care of children. As part of the College’s emphasis on experiential learning, the students had the option to participate in the CHOP summer internship or a semester-long cooperative that they incorporate into their class schedules. The students’ main interest? Digital health.
“Digital health screamed out to me as a really good blend of leveraging technology and innovative solutions to help a big group of people,” Paras said.
While both Paras and Lencovich had roles categorized under the digital health umbrella, they had different specialties. Paras’ work focused on Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), the use of digital technologies to monitor and transmit health data from patients to their healthcare providers outside of the clinical setting. These technologies can allow children to go home sooner while still receiving appropriate care. For ventilator patients, for example, Paras created a questionnaire for their parents to fill out data on their ventilator calibration system at home. She could flag certain responses on a questionnaire specially designed to alert care providers if a new issue arises with a patient's health.
Lencovich, on the other hand, interned with CHOP in Summer 2024. She began working with CHOP again in Spring 2025 in a health communications role, marketing a new pilot program designed to expand urgent telehealth visits to maximize efficiency. Through a nurse triage line, the nurses assess the children to see if they should be seen in person. Lencovich explained, “The nurse on the line can say in an urgent situation, ‘go to your closest CHOP urgent care and get a strep test.’ When the patient goes in person, they don’t have to go through a whole new visit. Those results will be sent right back to the virtual provider.”
The co-op opportunity came to life thanks to Doug Hock ‘82, Executive Vice President and System Chief Operating Officer at CHOP. Hock serves on the College’s Dean’s Advisory Council and saw a natural alignment of the COH and CHOP missions, particularly in the areas of understanding health at the population level, training future careerists, and leveraging digital technology.
According to Hock, “Learning more about the College of Health and the kinds of students they are trying to develop, I really saw a potential match, as we aim to create a talent pipeline. The College of Health was really going to fit a need for us as we move forward with our work.”
“I can’t believe I’ve had this CHOP internship as one of my first professional experiences,” Lencovich said. “It was a privilege to have this experience for so long.” The organization took the time to tailor each student’s experience to their unique interests—a choice that Lencovich greatly appreciated. After graduation, she’s continuing at Lehigh as a part of the COH’s 4 + 1 program to pursue her Master of Public Health. Her dream job: “staying a part of the CHOP team.”
In its fifth year of establishment, the COH is expanding partnerships in the local community and beyond that provide students with a comprehensive education in health. “The College of Health shaped my way of thinking about healthcare and the variety of career options we have here. It opened up new avenues like health communications, preventative care and holistic health,” Lencovich said. “One initial Lehigh connection with an alumnus could easily shape your future.”
After conversations with his team at CHOP and with College of Health Dean Beth Dolan, the co-op program came in quick order, Hock said. He was impressed with both Paras and Lencovich: “Both of them are very bright, very engaged, and very committed to what they are doing. Clearly, they had been taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by Lehigh.”
Paras thought back to her favorite moment, when she first saw her questionnaire being used by children with diabetes who struggle to regulate their blood sugar levels. “Being able to have direct impact and be involved with certain communities to look at things from a universal level is so rewarding,” Paras said. “I really appreciate the work.”
Hock shares their enthusiasm for the program. “We have a need for these kinds of resources in order to meet our strategic objectives,” he said. “On the Lehigh side, they want to provide meaningful opportunities for their students. The students want to be able to get involved with things that they are interested in or want to explore. It’s a very fortuitous kind of arrangement where the various stakeholders are benefitting from it. To me, what could be better than that?”
“The CHOP co-op and internships exemplify the COH’s commitment to provide real world experiences for our students,” said Dolan. “Working at an outstanding organization like CHOP in areas related to their education can bring a student’s future plans into focus. I’m proud of Neha and Lauren for leading the way, and grateful to Doug for offering this opportunity to COH students. We hope to create additional co-ops like this one, so that more students can have this type of transformative experience.”
