Summer Internship: University of Iowa Children's Hospital

By: Ceara Campos

This summer I am interning at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics under the direction of Scott Turner, Co-Chief Operating Officer, UIHC and Executive Director, UI Children's Hospital – and an alumnus of the program. UIHC is building a new children's hospital that is set to open in the spring of 2016, so as you can imagine it is a very exciting time to be involved with the children's hospital!  Construction has been moving quickly, as the exterior of the building is currently at 5 complete floors and crews are working at a pace of one-floor-per-month. Upon completion, the hospital will stand at 12 floors above ground and 2 below, and will have 189 beds. 

 

It's hard to believe I am already halfway through my internship! So far, I have been working on the following projects: an evaluation of temperature monitoring systems, cost-per-case data analysis for children's service lines, and best practices research regarding patient relations management.  I will also be assisting multiple committees with projects related to processes and operations throughout the organization, such as space allocation, energy use, and workflow design. At least once per week, as part of the intern rounding schedule, I have been meeting with representatives from various areas of the hospital, including environmental services, pharmacy, finance, and procurement and value implementation services. Some high points of my experience so far have been attending a CNO candidate presentation, touring the NICU, sitting in on leadership meetings, and observing a design workshop for a new lab. I have been able to be involved with a lot of meaningful projects in such a short amount of time and to meet a lot of amazing people who continually impress me with their dedication and kindness. I am very thankful for this opportunity!