Ascend Specialists Welcomes Raegin Palmer as Administrative Intern

Gillette native brings frontline healthcare experience and a passion for strengthening rural healthcare operations

GILLETTE, Wyo. — August 7, 2026 — Ascend Specialists is pleased to announce that Raegin Palmer has joined the organization as an Administrative Intern, bringing more than four years of frontline healthcare experience and a strong commitment to advancing healthcare in her hometown and across rural communities.

Palmer is currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration at Brigham Young University–Idaho. She is also a student member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, where she continues to expand her knowledge of healthcare leadership, policy, and operations.

Before joining Ascend Specialists, Palmer worked as a Certified Pharmacy Technician in retail, clinical and hospital settings, including Teton Cancer Institute and Campbell County Health. Through these roles, she gained firsthand experience navigating insurance companies, maintaining regulatory compliance, improving workflows and supporting patients throughout their care experiences.

“Raegin brings something especially valuable to this internship: she understands healthcare from the front lines,” said Norberto Orellana, COO/CFO of Ascend Specialists and Palmer’s internship preceptor. “She has seen how administrative decisions can affect patients, clinicians and healthcare organizations in the real world. Our goal is to help her build on that experience and develop the strategic, financial and leadership skills necessary to become an effective healthcare administrator.”

During her internship, Palmer will support Ascend Specialists efforts, exposing her to several major areas of healthcare administration, including facility operations, payer relations, business development, revenue cycle management, strategic planning, physician engagement and the development of new healthcare ventures.

For Ascend Specialists, the internship represents an investment in developing the next generation of rural healthcare leaders. Administrative internships and fellowships can be difficult to find in rural communities. As a result, many aspiring healthcare professionals feel compelled to relocate to larger metropolitan areas to obtain practical experience.

“Rural healthcare cannot afford to wait for future leaders to show up on their own,” Orellana said. “We have to deliberately identify local talented people, mentor them, and show them that they can build consequential careers in their rural hometowns. Raegin will not be observing from the sidelines. She will be contributing to real projects that affect healthcare organizations, providers and patients throughout multiple states.”

Through the internship, Ascend Specialists hopes to demonstrate that rural organizations can offer ambitious and practical learning experiences while cultivating leaders who understand the communities they may one day serve.

About Ascend Specialists

Ascend Specialists is a Wyoming-based healthcare management services organization dedicated to helping ambulatory surgery centers, physician practices and other locally owned and independent healthcare organizations achieve sustainable growth and operational excellence. Ascend provides leadership and support across areas including facility operations, revenue cycle management, finance, human resources, information technology, marketing, strategic planning and business development. Ascend provides the economies of scale, diverse network, and management expertise necessary to thrive without asking local organizations to give up their ownership and independence in the process.