Summer Internship: Rush-Copley Medical Center

By: Taylor Hilderbrand

 Greetings! This summer I have the privilege of interning with the administration team at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois. Rush-Copley is a 210 bed community hospital and is also a member of the Rush System for Health along with Rush Oak Park Hospital, Riverside Medical Center, and Rush University Medical Center. My preceptor, John Diederich, is the Senior Vice President of Operations and the Chief Operating Officer at Rush-Copley and John is also an alum of Iowa’s MHA Program (’93). David Petasnick, who has also been a great mentor thus far,  is also an alum of Iowa’s MHA Program (’96) and serves as the Assistant Vice President of Ancillary Services at Rush-Copley Medical Center. 

 In merely five weeks, my internship has already proven to be an invaluable experience as there has been a great balance between project work and experiential opportunities. I am currently conducting a statistical analysis of security responses to instances where patients or visitors have exhibited aggressive behavior.  This data analysis will help the security department identify trends, causes, and solutions for the recent elevated levels of such incidents. I have also been working on a project for Rush-Copley’s Occupational Health Department in which I am working with the department director to conduct an occupational health market analysis. The market analysis will include: a market overview, Rush-Copley’s target market, target market demographics, competition identification, a SWOT analysis, as well as a growth plan. Most recently, I have begun working with a team of physicians and interventional radiologists in effort to expand Rush-Copley’s Uterine Fibroid Embolization service line.

In addition to meaningful projects, John and the rest of Rush-Copley’s administration team have provided me with an array of observational opportunities. Thankfully, I have been given the freedom to attend essentially any leadership meeting, clinical meeting, ad hoc meeting, committee meeting, or departmental meeting that I might find to be of interest. I have also had the opportunity to attend board meetings, spend time in the operating room, spend a day with a surrounding area EMS team, spend an off shift with security, and have had exposure to many other areas beyond the administrative offices.

 

Beyond work, I have been enjoying all the great attractions and activities that the Chicagoland area has to offer. During the week I have been making an effort to routinely use Rush-Copley’s Healthplex, which is a premiere fitness and tennis facility. These gains have quickly been erased by my attempt to try every popular (pizza) restaurant in the Chicagoland area. On the weekends I have been able to spend time in downtown Chicago, go boating on Lake Michigan, travel to Lake Wisconsin, and I’ve managed to spend nearly all my paychecks on other fun-filled activities as well!