Ryon Stubblefield (MHA '23): KSB Hospital

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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