Summer Internship: Mercy Health Systems - Des Moines

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 with Mike. It was fascinating, and I left every day with a new piece of knowledge that carried me through my summer. Mike taught me so much, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him.

As well as working alongside Mike, I had the opportunity to work with numerous other senior leaders that are part of our team. Some of my memorable projects with them include: working on capital budget projects for the radiology and surgery departments at our affiliates, writing a large request for proposal (RFP) for a potential business acquisition, developing a standardized statewide internship/fellowship application, working with our Director of Physician Alignment on our Physician Leadership Academy, and writing a 340B plan with our Director of Advocacy to present in Washington DC. The experiences I had this summer were wonderful, and I am happy to say that I will be returning next summer as the Fellow for Mercy Health Network.

I learned so much during my time this summer at Mercy Health Network. The culture of Mercy truly aligns with my values, and that is how I knew I was the perfect fit as an intern. Serving others so we can change their lives is a privilege, and that is definitely how I knew I wanted to stay a part of this organization. I am so grateful to have had the opportunities that I did this summer, and I cannot wait to go back next summer and work with the awesome team.