Madisen Pautvein (MHA '24): UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center

 Hello from Steamboat Springs, Colorado!

This summer I have had the lovely opportunity of completing my summer internship through UCHealth with Yampa Valley Medical Center. My preceptor is the President/CEO of the hospital, Soniya Fidler. Yampa Valley Medical Center is a Level III trauma center with 34 beds, serving the Northwest Colorado region. Steamboat Springs is a small mountain town with a high tourist population, known for skiing and winter sports but becoming increasingly known for its gorgeous summers. From day one, I have been welcomed and accepted with open arms.

When it comes to project work, I have been so thankful for the leadership team here is so willing to hand projects off to me with ample guidance along the way. My main project work has been case costing using tools like procedural analytics to identify opportunities to reduce costs for total knee, total hip, and select spinal cases. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to manage a workforce aimed at addressing the critical need for employee housing in this community where I have been exposed to some exciting meetings and conversations. Outside of my two main projects, I have also been working on other cool and impactful projects including with the Health Disparity Committee, one centered around waste management, and another regarding assessing opportunities for the Occupational Medicine Clinic. Everyone at YVMC has been incredibly helpful and generous with their time.

Outside of project work, I have been busy filling my time with other valuable learning experiences. I was able to visit Ellen, a University of Minnesota student, who is also doing her internship with UCHealth but in the Fort Collins area. Additionally, I was able to visit Rasika at Highlands Ranch Hospital. I have had many opportunities to be a part of networking events with other interns, fellows, leadership, and community members. Likewise, I have been exposed to a number of cool shadowing opportunities, including a day full of total joint cases as well as a weekend shift in the Emergency Department. There have also been a couple of times I have had the opportunity to see some pretty cool visitors (see the photo of the moose outside of the admin offices at YVMC.)

I have also had the opportunity to spend plenty of time exploring gorgeous Colorado. I have spent a lot of time hiking, or as I tell my mom, bear hunting. I recently went to Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs which was a really cool experience. I have also spent some time exploring the lovely downtown Steamboat Springs which is full of boutiques and restaurants. I have to say one of my favorite activities so far has been the Steamboat Springs Rodeo. You will also find me spending plenty of time at the pool on the weekends. Although this summer has been absolutely incredible, I am looking forward to catching up with all of my classmates back in Iowa City this fall!