University of Iowa Health Management & Policy

By: David Nelson For students in the Department of Health Management & Policy, the Witt/Kieffer seminar has historically been regarded as one of the most valuable activities the program offers. During the session, students are given the opportunity to practice and refine their skills with the help of their peers, alumni, and staff from the executive search firm, Witt/Kieffer. For the second-year MHA class, the fellowship process is a major part of the fall semester. One of the core functions in this process, is interviewing. To better prepare students, the department has enlisted the help of its experienced alumni network and staff from Witt/Kieffer to provide expertise on how students can get the most out of their interviews. Over the course of two days, students had the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills on the phone, in person, and review general interviewing conduct. Several alums of the program returned to give their feedback and advice on the fellows

By: Brooke Spencer Hello all! This summer, I completed my administrative internship at Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC). GRMC is a private, not-for-profit, 49-bed, Mercy (MHN) affiliated medical center, which serves more than 47,000 residents in eastern central Iowa. GRMC is the largest hospital between Des Moines and Iowa City and has about 50 physicians, 400 employees, and 200 volunteers. GRMC is known, across the country, for its innovative approach to medicine, high value for employee and patient satisfaction, and philanthropic contributions from local businesses and respected members of the community. This summer I spent a majority of my time working in Grinnell, but was also exposed to some of the MHN leadership team in Des Moines through a MHN project and multiple network meetings. Throughout my administrative internship, my preceptor was Todd Linden, president and CEO of GRMC. I was able to meet with leadership at every level of the organization, was involved with

Anthem is a excellent healthcare organization aimed at improving the health of people in their communities served. Anthem is starting up their business in Iowa and many positions are available. Position: General Manager Position Number: 108318 Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Ensuring success of overall market Establishing, implementing and maintaining Physician, Hospital, Urgent Care and Ancillary strategy in partnership with internal Network Contracting Teams to facilitate provider education, engagement, participation and support of the CareMore model Achieving assigned network performance goals Establishing, implementing and maintaining community outreach and resource strategies that establish program acceptance, positive public relations and critical partnerships Establishing, implementing and maintaining member retention strategies to ensure that enrollment growth and retention goals are met Ov

By:  Jordan Brelje Business professional attire? Check. Summer readings finished? Check. Winning smile and a charming personality? Double check. With our checklist complete (a point of triumph for an HMP student), we were finally ready for the day we’d been waiting for. You guessed it ¾ orientation.  Day one began with professional portraits, and not even 90+ percent humidity could stop us from looking our best. I dare you to find a better looking group of future health care leaders. The remainder of the day included a meeting with members of the leadership team at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, a tour of the hospital, and a thoughtful discussion of the readings assigned to us over the summer. All in all, a very successful first day. Though information about the program and other hot topics in health care was both helpful and interesting, it was the team building and social events that proved to be most enjoyable. Activities such as a ropes course, kickball

Rural Policy Research Institute By: Aaron Horsfield Greetings from our nation’s capital! Amid the high humidity and copious sightseeing, I have had the privilege to intern with the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) as the National Policy Program Intern. RUPRI was founded in 1990 to address the concerns of members of the Senate Agricultural Committee regarding the lack of data, information, and analysis surrounding the impact of public policy on rural communities. The Institute focuses upon research, policy analysis and engagement, and dissemination and outreach in Health Policy, Poverty and Human Services, State Policy, and many other areas of work.   This summer, Jocelyn Richgels, Director of RUPRI’s National Policy Programs, has served as my preceptor and mentor. She has been monumental in introducing me to the staffers on the Hill, has allowed me to attend Senate and House briefings not only related to rural, but to my own interests, and has welcomed me to a variety me

By: Steph Kraft Sheley I worked this summer at National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) in New York City. NAPW is a national legal advocacy organization that works to safeguard the rights and welfare of pregnant and parenting people. NAPW recognizes that low income people, people of color and drug-using people are the most vulnerable to punishment for the outcomes of their pregnancies.  NAPW challenges such attempts at punishment through litigation and litigation support. NAPW also provides public education on the issues of pregnancy and drug use. My main task throughout the summer was to draft legal memoranda related to two cases in which pregnant women were criminally punished for the outcomes of their pregnancies. The purpose of these memos was to research in-depth specific areas of state law and analyze how the law might be applied to those cases. One of the cases for which I drafted a memo is approaching appeal at the state high court level, while the other has yet to go t

By: Lindsey Reed Greetings from Iowa City! I am one of many interns at the growing University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). It is Iowa’s only comprehensive academic medical center; comprised of UI Health Care, UI Children’s Hospital (pictured), and UI Carver College of Medicine. Consistently ranked as a top hospital in the United Sates, Iowa was also ranked America’s #1 Employer by Forbes magazine. My internship experience has been somewhat unconventional, being longer and larger in scope than most. I am an intern in the Health Care Information Systems (HCIS) division, which operates and maintains UIHC’s electronic medical record. I was fortunate to begin my journey in January 2015 and will continue until May 2016. This has not only allowed me to take a central role in many projects, but also shadow and meet a number of individuals within the organization. With the changes and advancement in healthcare, information is king. I am surrounded by progressive-minded in

By: Chip Rank I am very fortunate to be an Administrative Intern with Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this summer. Columbia St. Mary’s is comprised of four hospitals, over 60 community clinics and several Urgent/Express Care Centers throughout Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Sheboygan counties. Columbia St. Mary’s is a part of Ascension Health. Ascension Health is the largest nonprofit healthcare system in the United States with hospitals and related facilities in 20 states. My preceptor for the summer is Travis Andersen, President/CEO of Columbia St. Mary’s Health System and an alumnus of the University of Iowa MHA program. He has done a phenomenal job of making me feel like a member of his team during my internship. Travis managed my internship with an open door policy to almost every meeting/event that he attends. One experience in particular that I find very interesting is attending the Integrated Health Network (IHN) of Wisconsin meetings. IHN is the st