Ben Brimacombe - Aspirus Health (MHA '27)

 Hello from Wausau, Wisconsin!

This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to spend the summer with Aspirus Health at its flagship Wausau campus. It serves as the major referral and tertiary care center across northern and central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My time was spent with the hospital's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Andy Barth, and the Hospital Executive Team. Aspirus Health is a not-for-profit health system comprising 18 hospitals and 130 clinics in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Aspirus Wausau Hospital is a 325-bed hospital that continues to evolve as it recently broke ground on a massive $227 million expansion project. Once completed in 2028, it will add 48 intermediate care beds and a 16-bed observation unit. 

Throughout the summer, I had the opportunity to work on multiple projects that focused on improving processes, care coordination, and patient outcomes within the dental service line. My first project involved creating a standardized dental extraction workflow for both cardiac valve patients and patients requiring dental clearance before non-cardiac surgeries. The goal was to develop a consistent, efficient process that ensured patients received the necessary dental treatment without delaying their medical procedures. This required extensive process design, workflow mapping, and collaboration across multiple departments, including dental providers and clinics, central scheduling, and the operating room team. I worked to identify communication gaps, define responsibilities for each team involved, and establish a streamlined process that improved coordination while prioritizing patient safety and timely access to care.

My second project focused on developing a clear, safe, and timely referral pathway for stable facial trauma patients who require evaluation by Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS). The objective was to ensure these patients could be appropriately referred, evaluated, and have surgical planning or care coordination completed within a 24- to 72-hour timeframe. This project involved assessing the existing referral process, identifying opportunities to reduce delays and confusion, and creating a standardized pathway that clearly outlined referral criteria, communication expectations, and scheduling responsibilities. The end result was a more organized process designed to improve continuity of care, enhance collaboration among providers, and ensure patients receive the right level of care as efficiently as possible.

Outside of project work, I had weekly 3.5-hour professional development seminars every Wednesday with various presenters from diverse domains throughout the healthcare organization. I was immersed in the hospital meeting with all directors and received in-depth tours of all hospital units and corporate departments, which broadened my understanding of healthcare operations and organizational leadership. I sat in on daily huddles, executive, patient flow, bylaws, and medical executive committee meetings, gaining firsthand insight into decision-making processes and coordination required to effectively manage hospital operations. I was also credentialed to be a part of the patient experience team and to round on patients in the Medical, Adolescent, and Pediatrics (MAP) unit, further enhancing my understanding of patient-centered care and communication within a clinic setting.

Outside of work, I enjoyed one last summer at home, spending time with my friends and family. I spent most of my summer weekends up north on the water, enjoying my favorite summer activities like surfing, skiing, supper clubbing, and hydro foiling. As always, many evenings after work, I would find my way to the golf course for 9 holes. My older brother got married, and I had the privilege of standing up at his wedding and welcoming a new sister to the family. The combination of spending one last summer at home, while having the pleasure of working for such a great healthcare organization and learning from so many great leaders, made for an awesome summer. This internship was a transformative growth experience for me, allowing me to take what I learned in my first year of graduate school and apply it in a real-world setting. I gained a much deeper understanding of healthcare operations and the impact healthcare leaders have at both the local level and system-wide.