Howdy from Dixon, Illinois!
It has been an amazing opportunity to work in rural healthcare for Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital (KSB Hospital). KSB Hospital is a not-for-profit, independent healthcare facility founded in 1897. The hospital is currently celebrating its 125th year in operation as an independent organization, which is a rarity these days. I am under the direct mentorship of Kaitlyn Nease, Director of Human Resources. Kaitlyn is an alumnus of the University of Iowa MHA program. KSB strives to serve their blue-collar community by providing superior care close to home.
One of the main drivers for me to choose the KSB internship was the incredible culture. During my interviews, Dr. David Schreiner Ph.D., President, and Chief Executive Officer explained the organization’s “People First” philosophy. This revolved around the importance of every member of the KSB Family. This is evident in everything the hospital does from the strategic plan to the volunteers that greet patients at the doors. I have felt like a part of the KSB Family since the interview process and that has not waivered for a second since being on site.
KSB offers a wide range of services
and specialties that you wouldn’t expect a rural hospital to be able to provide.
In an effort to bring services closer to home for patients, KSB has created
partnerships with organizations such as the Northern Illinois Cancer Treatment
Center and Illinois Cancer Care. Partnerships like these keep patients from
having to travel to places such as Rockford, Peoria, or Chicago. During my time
at KSB, I have worked closely with the five Vice Presidents of the
organization. Each week has involved shadowing, rounding, and project work in
their particular areas. I have attended many executive and departmental
meetings as well as the monthly board of directors meeting. The last three weeks of the internship is built for me to continue projects as well as explore
or return to any areas that I have the most interest in.
My main project is housed within
the Human Resources department. I have worked to create a dashboard to
facilitate and track work being done in the employee journey space, which is
one of the main pillars in the hospitals strategic plan. The employee journey
pillar is separated into 4 different categories: onboarding/offboarding,
attract/recruit, talent management, and rewards/recognition. I have also had
the opportunity to lead safety huddle for the organization every Friday morning.
This is a meeting with 80+ employees involved to discuss safety issues that
arise throughout the organization. Also, as part of the internship experience,
I have had the opportunity experience events outside the walls of the hospital
such as the 2022 IHA Small and Rural Hospital Annual Meeting in Springfield,
Illinois and the Leadership Development Institute at Sauk Valley Community
College. I highly recommend this internship to anyone curious about the rural
healthcare space, as it provides an amazing opportunity to dive in and be
involved in a lot of different areas.
During my time off, I have found many
different ways to keep busy both in Dixon and traveling. I have been able to
explore the restaurants, stores, and parks that Dixon has to offer. I
participated in the July 4th Petunia festival in Dixon, the Reagan
Run 5K, and a minor league baseball game in Beloit, Wisconsin. I also attended
the John Deere Classic PGA Golf Tournament in Silvis, Illinois. The highlight
event was the opportunity to travel to Omaha, Nebraska to watch Game 1 of the
College World Series Finals (Ole Miss vs. Oklahoma).
*A Note From The Editor*
If you would like to keep up with Ryon, you can find him here on LinkedIn!
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