Summer Internship: University of Iowa Hospital an Clinics - Iowa City
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 clinicians, having a role in such a large organization has kindled a greater appreciation for the complexity of health care - not only from the regulatory perspective, but from an institutional culture one. The immense culture of collaboration at UIHC is something to be admired, and allows its members to easily overcomes many of the obstacles they may face.
As I near the end of my internship, I have had some time to reflect on some of the lessons learned over the summer. The first is that there is no single “right” approach to a problem: multiple avenues can lead to a desired result. Conversely, an unintended result is usually not caused by a single factor, but rather, a culmination of different factors. Second, health care encompasses much more than patients and their physicians. The custodian who cleans the patient’s room; the housekeeper who wheels in an empty bed; the engineer who repairs a malfunctioning piece of equipment; the service ambassador who guides a new patient to their appointment; each of these (and many more) is a cog that plays an integral role in the machine that is health care. Without them, none of it would be possible, and I have developed a deep appreciation for the many men and women it takes to keep an institution such as UIHC running.
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 clinicians, having a role in such a large organization has kindled a greater appreciation for the complexity of health care - not only from the regulatory perspective, but from an institutional culture one. The immense culture of collaboration at UIHC is something to be admired, and allows its members to easily overcomes many of the obstacles they may face.As I near the end of my internship, I have had some time to reflect on some of the lessons learned over the summer. The first is that there is no single “right” approach to a problem: multiple avenues can lead to a desired result. Conversely, an unintended result is usually not caused by a single factor, but rather, a culmination of different factors. Second, health care encompasses much more than patients and their physicians. The custodian who cleans the patient’s room; the housekeeper who wheels in an empty bed; the engineer who repairs a malfunctioning piece of equipment; the service ambassador who guides a new patient to their appointment; each of these (and many more) is a cog that plays an integral role in the machine that is health care. Without them, none of it would be possible, and I have developed a deep appreciation for the many men and women it takes to keep an institution such as UIHC running.
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