Devyn Just - Cass Health (MHA '26)

Hello from Atlantic, Iowa! This summer, I had the opportunity to complete my internship at Cass Health in Atlantic, Iowa. Atlantic has always been special to me since my dad grew up here and I still have family in the area. I have been visiting Atlantic since I was little, and this year I had the unique opportunity to work at the very hospital that serves the community I have known for so long. Over the past few months, I have learned so much about the day to day operations of a rural hospital, contributed to projects that support patient care, and seen just how much a close knit community can influence the way healthcare is delivered.

Cass Health is a Critical Access Hospital located in the southwest region of the state. Atlantic is an hour away from both Omaha and Des Moines, creating a perfect location for physician recruitment, organizational partnerships, and care delivery. Cass Health has been a Top 20 Critical Access Hospital for the past five years, showcasing just how strong their reputation for quality care is. Cass also offers robust maternal health services and provides care for much of the region. In 2023, Iowa’s governor named Cass a “Maternal Center of Excellence,” acknowledging their expertise and dedication to maternal and obstetrics care. This award is incredibly important as maternal health continues to be an area of need in rural communities.

This summer I worked closely with the admin team, as well as Ann McCurdy, Director of Marketing and Communication, and Megan Roberts, Public Health Director. My preceptor was Kolton Hewlett, CFO. Working with every leader at Cass has been a privilege, as I have gotten to learn more about their roles and how they contribute to the care being provided.

My three main projects this summer have been implementing Reach Out and Read, working on the Cancer Care Campaign, and helping with data analysis on the Community Health Needs Assessment. Reach Out and Read is a program that provides books at all well child visits from 6 months to 5 years old. The program partners with primary care teams to focus on teaching parents how to read with their kids and the importance of early literacy exposure. I took this project on from the very beginning, from getting the application finalized and submitted to pitching the program to the providers and primary care leadership team. Taking a project from the beginning steps up until roll out has given me great insight into the details of project management.

The Cancer Care Campaign was another major project. Cass County ranks second in the state of Iowa for cancer incidence rates, making it a top priority for the hospital. On my second day I joined a meeting with the committee tasked with addressing this challenge. I analyzed the data for the county and surrounding areas, looked at screening practices, and compared rankings to determine best practices for Cass. With all of the information I gathered, I worked with the marketing team to create handouts, web pages, and informational pieces for the community about cancer, the importance of screenings, and what patients can expect during the process. As part of this work, I also focused on radon exposure, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. I developed educational materials on why radon testing matters, ordered 500 radon test kits, and created a plan for distributing them through key community sites to increase accessibility.

My final major project was working with the public health team on the Community Health Assessment and Improvement Plan. While they worked on data collection, I analyzed the data we gathered and compared it to state reports and previous records. Once we identified the top five issues we wanted to focus on, I wrote a narrative about each topic, highlighting the importance of the issue and how Cass Health and the community can work together to make meaningful changes.

On top of my project work, I have attended meetings across departments, from weekly admin team meetings to monthly quality meetings, infection prevention meetings, and safety debriefs. Attending a variety of meetings gave me direct insight into the challenges facing the hospital and community and how different departments work together to find solutions. My favorite thing about being at a rural hospital is how interconnected everyone is. Leaders from every area have an understanding of how departments overlap and complement each other.

I have also engaged with various community events throughout my summer. Every Thursday the Chamber of Commerce hosts “Produce in the Park” where local vendors sell produce, baked goods, and other homemade items. Cass Health has a booth every week highlighting a different department, from medical records to the dietitian. I also attended several public meetings with the public health team where community members shared strategies to improve overall health. My last day will be spent on the golf course for the hospital's annual foundation fundraiser, which feels like the perfect way to spend my last day in the community with the people who have made this experience so memorable.

Outside of work, I have been busy visiting family in Lincoln, friends in Omaha, and my boyfriend back in Iowa City. My weekends have been just as full as my weekdays, which has made this summer fly by. I have loved being between my life in Iowa City and my friends and family in Nebraska. As my internship comes to an end, it feels bittersweet. I will miss the people I have grown so close to and the valuable learning experiences they have given me, but I am also excited to reunite with everyone in Iowa City and apply all that I have learned. This summer reminded me why I chose a career in healthcare administration in the first place, to serve communities I care about and to make a lasting impact on the people who call them home.