Summer Internships: Avera McKennan Hospital

By: Heather Gray and Alex Miller


Greetings, this is Alex and Heather reporting from Sioux Falls, SD at Avera McKennan Hospital.  I think we can both agree that our experience as Interns has been an overwhelmingly joyous occasion thus far.  Alex is interning under Curt Hohman, Senior Vice President of Managed Facilities.  Heather is interning under Dr. Dave Kapaska, CEO and Regional President of Avera McKennan Hospital.  Avera McKennan Hospital is the largest of six regions that encompass the Avera Health Network employing over 14,000.

Heather reporting live, “my first week consisted of shadowing Dr. K as he attended physician recruitment meetings, the Board of Trustees meeting, one-one meetings with clinical and administrative staff, community engagement events, Chamber of Commerce Board meeting, and compensation, partnership, and negotiation agreement meetings, as well as walking the hospital floors to engage with patients, families, and staff.  I have begun work on a variety of projects.   I have created a donor survey for the President of the Avera Foundation, shout out to my Mercy survey-making friends!   I collaborated with the LEAN/Process Excellence team to write the dialogue and content piece for Dr. K and Steve Crim, Director of Operational Strategy, conversation for the employee and leader educational forum events.  I am working with Sister Mary, Senior Vice President of Mission Development, to complete the curriculum for the Mission Foundation Leadership Development course required to be taken by all new leaders once a year.  We are working with Avera Health to centralize the course so every member of the Avera Health Network will take this 4 month, which used to be 7 month course.  Currently, I am working with the Avera Behavioral Health Center, to develop a business plan for a $13M new wing addition for Child/Adolescent inpatient care and a new service line for a Chemical Dependency program.  This project is due in one month so wish my team and I the best as we work with contractors, financial analysts, and the innovation and strategy team to prepare a capital request worthy of acceptance by Dr. K and the Administrative Council.  I look forward to my overnight shift in Emergency Department and flights to Marshall, Pierre and Aberdeen, SD and future projects. 
 
 I am truly blessed for this opportunity to be a part of true health system, focused on its mission of being rooted in the gospel and guided through Christian values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.  I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Avera family for welcoming me and treating me with the utmost kindness and respect. Outside of the hospital, I play sand volleyball with my roommates on Wednesday nights and Bunko, every other Thursday night.  Currently, I am on house duty for Dr. K while he is in California babysitting his grandchildren, so I am trying my best to keep the flowers alive and make sure no water is in the basement!

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