Chicago Trip

First-year students touring Rush Presbyterian

On February 8-10, the first year MHA and MPH in Policy students traveled to Chicago to observe healthcare in an urban area, network with alumni, and hear a variety of presentations. The trip was full of activities, beginning with a stop at AMA and AHA, where students were introduced to careers outside of the hospital setting. The trip also included tours of Prentice Women’s Hospital (Northwestern), Rush Presbyterian, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, and Advocate Good Samaritan.

At Prentice, the Director of Growth gave a “How Do We Grow?” presentation on the Northwestern Medicine strategic plan, integration activities, and current growth initiatives. Alumni who are current employees the Northwestern system spoke to the class about their experiences and provided career advice. An informal Q&A session allowed students to ask additional questions.

Rush Presbyterian offered a different perspective on hospital design and growth and the class was able to tour the new facility that opened in January. Students were also afforded the opportunity to hear Quint Studer of the Studer Group share his insights on leadership at a diversity award program, which was followed by a reception at Rush.

Stroger Hospital offered a different experience than Northwestern and Rush, as it is a public urban teaching hospital in the Illinois Medical District serving a very diverse population. At Stroger, the class had the opportunity to walk through the emergency department, level 1 trauma center, and NICU. Nurses and physicians lead a majority of the tours and spoke to the challenges of the population served, as well as answered a number of student questions. They also discussed what makes their organization different from others in the area.

Advocate Good Samaritan was the final stop of the trip and two VP’s spoke about the Baldridge National Quality Award, as Good Samaritan was a recipient in 2010. The presentation discussed the process leading up to the award and how the organization has moved forward since recognition.

Students during the tour at Northwestern

In addition to the exposure to a variety of healthcare settings in the Chicago area, the students had an opportunity to network with alumni currently working in the area throughout the trip. An Alumni Reception held at P.J. Clark’s in downtown Chicago gave many of the students an opportunity to learn more about internships in the area and work on networking skills. There was even the chance to eat 'family-style' with classmates at a Greek restaurant. The 2012 HMP Chicago trip provided a positive and unique opportunity for the students, as they were able to get out of the classroom and interact with healthcare in a different way.