Summer Internships: Unity Hospital

 By Chelsea Cooling

Greetings from Fridley, MN! This summer I am completing my internship at Unity Hospital, a 220-bed hospital in the northwestern Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Unity is a part of Allina Health, a system that operates 11 hospitals and more than 90 clinics throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin.  My preceptor is Lori Wightman, RN, President of Unity. Lori has been taking Iowa interns for the past 8 years.

This summer I have been tasked with completing some very exciting projects:

  • Creating a business plan and pro forma for a possible da Vinci robot
  • Working with the VPMA on a length of stay reduction project
  • A statistical analysis of the effect of increased rehab services provided throughout the hospital on patient outcomes
  • Creating a proposal for use of Blue Ocean Strategy concepts at Unity
  • Completing an analysis of Unity’s ACE unit and creating a plan for how to spread practices on this unit throughout the hospital

In addition, one of the most valuable parts of my internship has been spending time in different departments. So far, I have worked shifts in nutritional services and housekeeping.  And when I say I worked I mean it – I’ve learned how to do everything from serve food in the cafeteria to how to clean a hospital room in preparation for a new patient. As a future administrator, I count these experiences as extremely valuable in understanding how the entire organization functions as a whole. I have also shadowed in the OR and have plans to observe in the ICU as well as an overnight shift in the ER. There is certainly never a dull moment!

Fellow Iowa student Alyssa Pennington and I at SQLA
As for fun, a few weekends ago I traveled to Boston for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Student Quality Leadership Academy (SQLA). IHI is an organization focused on worldwide healthcare improvement. The SQLA was an amazing experience filled with the opportunity to hear influential speakers and have discussions with peers focused on improving the health system. The conference aims to create a forum for these interprofessional conversations that will be crucial as we attempt to change the healthcare system in our future careers. I also traveled last weekend to Manhattan, KS, for a former classmate’s wedding. I’m spending the rest of my free time outside of work exploring the cities and all they have to offer.

Overall I’m really enjoying my time here. Unity has a reputation of embracing their interns and giving them great projects and my experience has been no different. I’m looking forward to what the rest of the summer will bring and am hoping it doesn’t fly by too fast!

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