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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