Kori Thomas (MHA '22): Rush Copley Medical Center

Hello from Chicago! 

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to complete my internship with Rush Copley Medical Center. My preceptor this summer was the oh-so-great Dave Petasnick! Dave has been with Rush Copley for over ten years and has contributed to the organization in numerous and unique ways. Fun fact, Dave is an alumnus of Iowa’s MHA program, along with the CEO, John Diedrich. I highly encourage you to take some time to schedule a meeting with John to hear about his incredible journey with Rush Copley. Trust me; you won’t be disappointed. Although Rush Copley is located in Aurora, Illinois, Chicago is about a 45-50 minute drive … well, that’s not including traffic;).

 Rush Copley’s internship is a 10-12 week program that provides students with a plethora of opportunities such as observing surgeries, shadowing EMS and riding in the ambulance, observing live births and C-sections, and more. Before starting this amazing internship, Dave asked me for a list of projects and observation experiences that would be of interest to me. Man… did he hit the nail on the head with every project that I was given and every observation he set up for me. Receiving projects that pertained to exactly what I was looking for really showed me that Copley prioritized my learning for the summer. Along with the projects, Dave also made it a priority to get me any and every shadowing opportunity he could to provide me with a broad range of experiences I could speak to.

My main project this summer was focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion at Rush Copley. I was first tasked with creating an impact report of every initiative that pertained to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the staff, patients, and community. All of the information collected for this report was placed in a PowerPoint presentation and laid out in a timeline for the administration to see our progress over the years, along with where we can grow. Later, I was tasked with what I found to be the most amazing opportunity, creating an organization-wide survey to distribute to all 2,619 employees to collect their sentiments around diversity, equity, and inclusion. When the survey closed, I worked closely with the COO of the hospital to analyze and process all survey responses. Completing a mixed-methods study, including both quantitative and qualitative questions, Mary and I spent days sifting through incredibly honest opinions and views. I can go into more detail about this project over coffee, but the main takeaway I gathered from this project was that as healthcare administrators, our job is not to judge one another for having differing opinions but more so to provide an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone to feel safe expressing their opinions. Along with this, Rush Copley recognized that I had a voice that needed to be heard. They recognized that there were hundreds of voices that had been silent for too long, and their staff was pleading for their help to make a change in the culture. I was fortunate to be that voice for those hundreds of people and make a true impact on a positive change towards inclusivity at Copley.

Another project of mine focused on the importance of social determinants of health and implementing a new screening tool for patients. For this project, I was included in the discussions that focused on the need for this new screening tool. My job was dedicated to developing new educational materials for all nursing and medical staff to understand why we are prioritizing this initiative and the new processes that will be put in place. This project was incredibly rewarding by having the opportunity to communicate with employees all across the organization, along with sharing how critical understanding social determinants of health is to improve patients’ overall health outcomes.

There were many other projects that I was afforded over the summer, and I am happy to speak to them any time! This summer internship was more than just an internship; it was the perfect opportunity to show me what I am capable of. My main project that focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion fostered a lot of uncomfortable conversations with many different people. Although the work that I was doing cultivated discussions about change, it was heartbreaking at times to understand the complex gaps that resided in the culture. I learned more about myself this summer than I ever have in my life, and that is because I had the confidence of the CEO and the COO, and many more.  I was placed in this role to create change for a better future at Copley.

Overall, I spent a lot of time walking in Chicago. The dynamic in the city is a very unique and different environment than any other location in the Midwest. Because Chicago is so close to Iowa City, my friends had the opportunity to come to visit and enjoy the beautiful city. Some last-minute fun activities I  experienced this summer were laying on the “beach” all weekend, going to Sundays on State Street, trying new food places, and enjoying the nightlife with the beautiful rooftops overlooking the city. My summer in Chicago was definitely an unforgettable one! 

Go Hawks! 

*A Note From The Editor*

If you would like to keep up with Kori, you can find her here on LinkedIn!