Tyler Coulander (MHA '23): New Ulm Medical Center

 

Willkommen! (Welcome) to New Ulm, Minnesota. This summer I am the Administrative Intern at New Ulm Medical Center (NUMC). NUMC is a critical access hospital in southwest Minnesota. The population of New Ulm is around 14,000 but NUMC has a service area of roughly 40,000. With my passion for rural healthcare, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend the summer with the amazing leaders and staff here in New Ulm. I have been given access and opportunities to observe a wide variety of areas within the hospital and clinic. New Ulm is a small town with strong German heritage/history and has a great sense of community. One example of this is Hermann the German, a statue that provides a great view of New Ulm and the surrounding area from the top. New Ulm has a lot of parks and recreational areas which promotes health and well being for community members.

So far during my time in New Ulm I have been working on a variety of projects. Mainly my work has been focused on growth strategy and strategic planning and was recently able to be involved at a board meeting presenting my work. This area has always been interesting to me, and it is fun working on new solutions and ideas to help serve a greater patient population and grow the mission/vision of New Ulm Medical Center. Some of my other projects have focused on improving workflows within the hospital and clinic, helping develop a green team, and lots of data analysis. Overall, the work has been extremely engaging and challenging. 


This has allowed me to learn a ton and grow professionally. I have also been able to put together a proposal for a clinic refresh project and learn more about the capital approval process within the hospital. On top of project work, shadowing several departments has also been engaging. The staff have been fun to spend time with and enjoy having an intern around. From EVS to supply chain, and multiple others, I have learned so much from the staff and am thankful to have this access. Some projects have been smaller in nature as well, but all have provided great learning opportunities. It is hard to believe how fast the summer is going by. I look forward to the second half of the summer and continuing to learn more. New Ulm Medical Center is an excellent national model for rural healthcare. NUMC is highly integrated and continually ranks as a top critical access hospital nationwide. My preceptor Toby Freier (President/CEO) has been a great mentor and allowed me opportunities to grow personally and professionally. He has been with New Ulm Medical Center for over 15 years, and I have benefited greatly from his leadership.

In my free time I have spent a lot of time at Lake Okoboji with family and friends. I enjoy boating and golfing. During the week after work, I enjoy working out and playing basketball at the wellness center in New Ulm. Overall, I have greatly enjoyed the summer so far but already look forward to being back in Iowa City with everyone!




*A Note From The Editor*
If you would like to keep up with Tyler, you can find him here on LinkedIn! 

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