Summer Internship: UW Health Madison


 
By: Ben Meyer (MHA ‘20)

Greetings from Badgerland.  For over a month now I have been working with UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin.  UW Health is an integrated health system serving more than 600,000 patients per year with approximately 1,500 physicians and 16,500 staff at six hospitals and more than 80 outpatient sites.  In addition to remarkable care, UW Health also provides health insurance plans to over 270,000 members via the co-owned organization named Quartz.

Over the last few weeks I have been rotated through several service areas.  The goal of the internship is to understand major organizational initiatives, how all service areas must work together to provide remarkable care, participate in all levels of communication, and to lead at least one organization-wide initiative.  UW Health is experiencing many changes as it adopts the Toyota Makati integrated model from Virginia Mason Medical Center located in Seattle, Washington.  To better understand the overarching initiative named the “UW Health Way,” I have rotated through areas like Environmental services, Quality and Safety Improvement, Health Services, Employee Well-Being, Med-Flight, and Facilities/Engineering to name a few.

A growing knowledge and relationship with service areas I have been exposed to has given shape to my main project.  In response to concerns regarding staff morale and the staff perception of the culture of safety, UW Health leadership has vowed to rapidly improve the way in which all employees communicate.  Leading the way is my project.  A new staff engagement survey tool called Waggl is being developed and implemented within the next few months.  As project lead I have been coordinating and working with various stakeholders regarding IT integration procedures, communications strategies, pilot groups, and action planning strategies.

I look forward to continuing to explore Madison and all the outdoor activities it has to offer.  From kayaking on the many lakes, to concerts, to the annual naked bike ride through downtown.  Stay tuned for more!

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