University of Iowa Health Management & Policy

Last Friday MHA students attended the first all- member meeting of the 2016-2017 school year. There was plenty of excitement at the meeting as the first year class was wrapping up their first week of classes and other students were returning to school from summer internships. Students also had the opportunity to welcome Dr. Dan Gentry, the new MHA Program Director. During the meeting, students participated in several team building exercises.  An Appreciative Inquiry exercise broke up students into 7 smaller teams to determine the strongest aspect of the MHA Program.  As shown by the picture to the right, all 7 groups responded with the Program's Alumni Network. These results highlight the appreciation current students have towards the program's alumni.  Many students have had opportunities to reach out to, network with, and even engage in project work with alumni.  The alumni base is one of the finest in the country and serves as an excellent recruiting tool a...

By: Joy Woods Magical rings. Giant’s toes. Enchanted woods. Radioactive spider webs. All these things sound like an elaborate science fiction novel or the latest Marvel movie; however, this was our day with the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center staff at the “High Ropes Course.” Even though our group did not participate in the high ropes activities, we did quite a few other team building exercises. These activities required us to blindly trust each other—literally and figuratively. What made this day so great was the fact that I had to allow myself to trust a person (or persons in this case) I just met less than forty-eight hours prior. We had to figure out a way to solve a problem— crossing a wire suspended above the ground without falling off or fitting 20 plus adults through a “spider web” without touching any of the web. A group of adults, all varying not only in age but in thought process, were thrown together to solve an immediate issue. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Someth...

Jonathan Wilson  is a health-system pharmacy administration resident at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota in May 2016. In addition to completing two years of residency training, Jonathan will be serving as an adjunct instructor and preceptor for the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. His interest in pharmacy administration developed from past work experience at Allina, Fairview, and Park Nicollet/Health Partners, where he worked as a pharmacy intern in the inpatient setting. Jonathan enjoys spending free time attending sporting events, running, camping, traveling, and visiting family and friends in Minnesota. He is involved with numerous professional organizations, but will be working on several projects this year through the American Society of Health System Pharmacists. Jonathan looks forward to advancing his training and education through the MHA program to gain the skill...

By Catherine Gehlsen This summer, I had the opportunity to serve as the administrative intern at Mercy Health Network in Des Moines, Iowa. Mercy Health Network was founded in 1998 under a joint operating agreement between two of the largest Catholic, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the United States: Catholic Health Initiatives and Trinity Health. Mercy Health Network houses five major medical centers throughout the Iowa and 41 rural network affiliates making it one of the largest healthcare systems in the state. During my summer, I worked under the supervision of Mike Trachta, VP of Critical Access Hospital Operations for our rural affiliates. I learned a great deal about rural health and the current status of rural health throughout these affiliates. I also had the opportunity to attend numerous board meetings to learn about these hospitals and how they are run. I also learned a great deal about how a corporate office of a healthcare system operates while working wit...

By: David Nelson Hello everyone and greetings from Waterloo, Iowa! This summer I have had the pleasure of working with Pam Delagardelle and the leadership team at UnityPoint – Waterloo. I’ve been based primarily at Allen Hospital, but with systemwide efforts on population health and building a system designed for future payment models, my work has been regionally focused. In building models of care for the future, my primary responsibility has been working on regional access strategies. This work has put a great deal of emphasis on identifying how we can provide cheaper, more accessible care in the Cedar Valley. The strategies built around this type of thinking have been incredible to be a part of – from telehealth solutions, to reaching patients at their home or place of work - evaluating the best ways of serving patients has pushed me to think about how we can be more consumer and patient-centric. Beyond this work, I’ve also worked with Adam Scherling, an Iowa alum, on...

By George Tzanetakos Greetings from Iowa City! This summer I have had the opportunity to intern for Sabi Singh, Co-Chief Operating Officer of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). As the state of Iowa’s largest health system and it’s only comprehensive academic medical center, UIHC has been serving the community and its patients in some capacity for nearly 150 years. This year marks UIHC’s latest addition, with the inauguration of its newest facility: the 12-story, 130-bed Children’s Hospital. Having been afforded the ability to work with multiple service lines has led to a well-rounded learning experience. My primary focus has been identifying areas for improvement in the context of cardiac surgery cases and the implementation of a strategic process to improve those areas. This project has led me to the operating room to observe cardiac cases on several occasions, which have been quite eye-opening all on their own. From conducting cost analyses to working with clinic...