Summer Internship: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
By: Zoe Ribar (MHA ’18)
Hello from the “City of Bridges”!
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has not only been cited to have 446
total bridges, but the metropolitan area also has the
highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges in the U.S. Fortunately
for me, I’ve been able to explore many these bridges as I frequently find
myself on the wrong one.
This summer I am interning with the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center (UPMC), currently ranked 12th in the nation on the U.S News and World Report Honor Roll.
The system as a whole possesses more than 25 hospitals, 600 outpatient sites
and clinics, and employs 65,000 people making the organization the largest
non-governmental employer in the state. I’ll be spending my twelve weeks within
the Women’s Health Service line at Magee Women’s Hospital, a 321-bed facility
that births nearly 11,000 babies every year. Besides being the 12th
best provider in the nation for gynecologic care, the hospital provides many important
services to men as well.
I’ve been so fortunate to have a
fantastic preceptor who has given me extensive opportunities for projects and
shadowing. Some of my work thus far includes analysis of provider satisfaction
scores, investigation on how efficiently different clinic sites are utilized,
streamlining the “check-out” aspects of consumerism initiatives, and the
creation of value based incentives for physicians. My largest project currently
is centered around OR utilization, in which I analyze and report on how well
physicians are utilizing scheduled OR blocks versus releasing them. This
analysis is taking place across all hospitals where OB/GYN surgeries take
place. Additionally, I’m in the process of comparing the male and female salary
schedules to see if physicians are paid differently by gender – how awesome is
that?!
A more unique aspect to my residency
is that I’m one of about 20 health services interns. While I don’t work with
any other interns directly, we meet weekly at different happy hours to trade
stories.
In my free time I’ve been able to
experience the city’s profound pride for its sports (Steelers, Penguins, or Pirates
take your pick!), food, and history. Pennsylvania is also home to great hiking
and Hershey, the mecca of chocolate. Next on my list to explore are the museum
of Natural History, the Andy Warhol museum, and the Strip district.
UPMC thus far has been incredibly
progressive and ever-changing, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to
learn. I look forward to seeing all my classmates back in Iowa in the fall!
(Unless I get on the wrong bridge).
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