Summer Internship: UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's Hospital
By: Joe Kim
Hello, everyone! This summer, I’m interning at St. Luke’s
Hospital in Cedar Rapids, a Top 100 Hospital with 532 licensed beds right at
the edge of downtown. I’m working under Joe Linn, Vice President of Operations,
forming a powerful Joe & Joe duo. St. Luke’s is a top 3 US News & World
Report hospital in Iowa, Truven Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital, and holds the
first rehab program in the state to be CARF accredited.
All of these awards and accolades would not be made possible
without a strong culture within the organization. I’m starting my fifth week
here and it already feels like home. Everyone is welcoming, and it has been fun
getting to know the hard workers around me. A big project that is ongoing
throughout this summer is in regards to culture and values. There will be a
launch in the middle of July for training staff members on the new values of
the organization, across all of the UnityPoint affiliates. Logistically
speaking, it is a lot to coordinate for the 3,500+ associates here at St.
Luke’s.
Another project I’m working on is reducing patient wait times at the Wound and
Hyperbaric Center in Hiawatha. To help alleviate
this issue, I’m in the process of creating a scheduling template, as well as
suggesting other strategies. I had the opportunity to present on this topic to
the physicians of this clinic, which went smoothly thanks to the great education
and work the Iowa MHA program provides to prepare students with strong
presentation skills. Lastly, much of my time is spent shadowing Joe Linn at
different meetings and events, along with meeting directors one-on-one. Learning
the language used between the various levels of the hospital, as well as gaining
insight on the operations of each service line across the continuum of care, has
been an extremely valuable experience for me.
Outside of work, I’ve been able to take advantage of a
summer in Iowa City, which has much to offer, such as outdoor concerts, various
festivals and fine dining on patios. I had the pleasure of spending time with
my fellow classmates at an ACHE networking event and am currently working on my
golf game. Thankful for a fantastic first five weeks here and am looking
forward to seeing my classmates back in Iowa City for the fall!
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