Summer Internship: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

Winnie Uluocha (JD/MHA '19) scrubs in
to observe a surgery.

By: Winnie Uluocha (JD/MHA '19)

As a student pursuing a joint Juris Doctor and Master of Health Administration degree, I was excited to see how I could use these two disciplines during my summer internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). This summer, I have the privilege of working under Sabi Singh, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for UIHC. Mr. Singh is responsible for the most significant aspect of a health care delivery system, the day-to-day operations of a hospital. A few of the core areas of focus for Mr. Singh include lean and six sigma, operations excellence, data and analytics, supply chain, and process improvement. Mr. Singh’s extensive areas of responsibility have provided me the opportunity to work with several departments this summer, which has led to a comprehensive learning experience.

A few of the projects I am working on this summer include analyzing data to strategize ways to increase efficiency and maximize cost-savings in an effort to create a continuum of care in Perioperative Department as part of a $100 million dollar initiative; organizing case selections and assembling requisite documentation for DRG and outpatient review to validate appropriate procedural codes, regulatory compliance, and determine financial impact in Department of Heart and Vascular Center; assisting the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center in evaluating and planning for improvement in intake and lab draws; and coordinating a process improvement study to ensure optimal performance and increase room utilization in Department of Internal Medicine. Furthermore, I was afforded the opportunity to observe an open-heart surgery and tour the industry gold standard Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing Center. Lastly, working with a variety of departments has allowed me to use my legal research and writing skills while applying concepts I learned in Analytics for Healthcare and Corporate Finance class.

My position as an administrative intern has provided me with a taste of the complexities and organizational implications a COO manages on a daily basis. UIHC is a nationally recognized leading academic medical center because of their efforts in developing and maintaining high quality, cost-effective, and integrated care within the hospital. What fuels their success and has most impressed me is the dedication, mission-driven, and patient-centered care that is at the core of UIHC’s values demonstrated from the CEO to the custodian. Moreover, observing workflow in different departments, hearing patients heart wrenching and triumphant stories, and sitting in on several senior leadership meetings has taught me that difficulties are not only lessons that inspire us to tackle future challenges, they also prepare us for a deeper understanding of life. I could not have imagined a more meaningful and wide-ranging summer administrative internship, and I am grateful for the incredible experience and support I have received from the senior leaders and staff at UIHC.